Reversion
by Raivon
Summary: John must choose between his feelings and his destiny when Cameron is corrupted by an old enemy. A/N: Features an OC from my other stories but is set in an alternate timeline to those. John/Cameron. Part 2/5. Sequel to Revolution. Please Review.
1. The Cat and the Fiddle

**Chapter 01: The Cat and the Fiddle**

It was eight o'clock in the morning and a faint mist had settled over the Calabasas highlands, hiding the already secluded house in a cloud of obscurity. Anyone driving down the 101 Freeway would have a hard time spotting the building, even without the morning mist. But the eyes of weary truckers were not as acute as those of a stray feline. The cat narrowed his eyes at the all-but-invisible glow of the distant house and licked his lips, knowing that dinner lay ahead.

In less than ten minutes, the young cat had scurried down the hill and into the surrounding fields, stealthily approaching the small house. For the last three months, this cat had been forced to fend for himself after his owner died, leaving no provisions for his future care. It wasn't easy to go from being waited on to scrounging for scraps, especially with the ever present threat of men from the local pound. With no other option available to him, the cat had abandoned the cities in favour of smaller settlements where detection was less likely.

Little did he know that attempting to infiltrate this particular house was more hazardous than blatantly stealing a cop's donut from his hands. But desperate times called for desperate measures, as the occupants of this house knew only too well. Satisfied that the coast was clear, the cat skulked from the long grass and sped over to the garbage cans. One single sniff of the air confirmed the presence of edible food and the cat wasted no time in pouncing up at the can, his back legs scrambling as he lifted himself unceremoniously into the trash.

The cat searched through the various leftovers and was a little surprised by the large quantities of uneaten pancakes amongst the discarded food stuffs. Feeling like he'd hit the jackpot, the cat tucked into the unwanted flatbreads with wholehearted appreciation that would have brought a smile to their maker's face. The cat was so involved in his eating that he did not immediately notice the large shadow that now loomed over him. Once he did, however, the cat spun around and looked up to see a human with long brown hair.

The human stared down at him with a slight frown and tilted her head to one side as if considering something. The cat simply stared back, waiting for the tell-tale signs of impending danger. He had been raised by humans, so he wasn't as cautious as the other felines he'd met on the street, but this particular one was slightly… odd. She had a scent that was did not belong to any human, though he'd smelt it many times before, every day in fact.

The strange human continued to stare down at him, her head tilting to the other side, not blinking once since she'd caught him thieving her leftovers. The cat decided it might as well make the first move and offered the human an inquisitive "meow". The human looked taken aback by the greeting and froze for a second before suddenly reaching into the trash can and grabbing the cat by the scruff. She lifted him out and held him at eye level for a moment before casually lowering him to her side as she strode into the household.

It was warm and smelt homely, triggering blurred memories of his old life of comfort and peace. The human carried him into the room with the noise box and dumped him on the comfy chair, where another human sat with his eyes half closed. This human was a male specimen, no older than the one who carried him indoors. The male opened his eyes and blinked a few times before glancing down at the cat, who sat patiently on the cushion, his tail swishing from side to side curiously.

"I found this cat rummaging through our trash."

The female's voice was whispery and carried a hint of innocence, but her tone was flat and unnaturally precise. The male looked from her to the cat and raised an amused eyebrow.

"You found it in the trash."

"Yes."

"And you put its dirty paws on the couch, lovely."

The cat hadn't the first clue what the humans were saying, their dialect was as alien to him as his was to them. But he understood tones and certain facial expressions. The male was half-amused half-annoyed at the female, who remained eerily unemotional. She grabbed him by the scruff once more and held him aloft, causing the male to wince sympathetically before placing his hands under the cat's forelegs and relieving the female of holding him.

He placed the cat on his lap and looked him over, as humans often did with animals, checking for any signs of illness or irregularity. The cat allowed the male to handle him, not wanting to be thrown out into the cold so soon. The human gave a satisfied "hmm" before tickling the cat's ears in the same manner as his owner once did. The female sat down next to the male and watched with slight confusion as the cat began purring at the attention.

"What is it doing?"

The male switched to the other ear and smiled as the cat's purring increased, both in volume and frequency.

"It's called purring, Cameron. It's what cats do when they're happy. You wanna try?"

The female tentatively reached out and gave a small scratch behind the ear, but received no praise from the cat, leaving her a little dejected. The male sighed mockingly and stroked the cat's head.

"I'm guessing you're not really a cat person."

The female leaned away and placed her hands on her lap, her face blank once more.

"He is a possible threat to us."

"What? How can it be a threat, it's a cat? And how do you know it's a he?"

The female pointed to the cat's under-body, making the male's face redden slightly as he looked without thinking.

"Oh… that's how. Trust you to be as invasive in his privacy as you are in mine."

"He isn't from around here. He might have an owner who is looking for him. He could lead someone here. We should kill him before he poses any problems."

The male held the cat away from her and frowned disapprovingly at the female.

"He's harmless. He isn't wearing a licence, so that means he's a stray. No one is gonna come looking for him, okay?"

The female opened her mouth to speak but decided against it, conceding to the male's authority.

"Okay. I won't kill him. But what are we going to do with him. Lock him up maybe?"

"Nope, I've got a better idea…"

The male handed the cat over to her and she took him awkwardly as the male got to his feet and gave a yawn as he stretched his legs and back, his joints clicking in the process. He then made to leave, but the female stood up and called to him.

"Wait! What am I supposed to do with him?"

The male turned around, an amused expression on his face.

"You're going to learn to look after him."

He raised his eyebrows fleetingly and grinned at her before turning back towards the kitchen. The female frowned at him and then turned her attention to the cat who was hanging uncomfortably in her steely grip. She stared into his eyes, her brow knitted together in confusion as she was at a loss as to what to do with him.

"What is your name?"

The cat simply stared at her, not understanding a word she was saying. The female's frown deepened as she gave the cat a small shake, as if this would prompt an answer, but when it didn't, her shoulders drooped slightly as a faintly exasperated look flickered across her face.

"This is going to be problematic."

--

James Sherman glanced at his watch for the sixth time in the last twenty minutes, desperately wishing his shift to end before his boss delegated the last minute duties. But in keeping with his luck, the boss poked his head out of his office and narrowed his eyes at James.

"Ah, Sherman, I was hoping someone might still be around. We got a John Doe awaiting autopsy in storage five. Take care of it, will you."

James pretended to be on his way out, hoping that his boss might take the hint, but he knew it wouldn't work. It never did.

"Did you hear me, Sherman?"

"Loud and clear. I'll get right on it, boss."

"Good man."

James let out a sigh as he slouched down the corridor to cold storage room five, reserved for possible murder victims and suicides. Picking up his apron, James stepped inside, shivering against the cold and took up the note board left by the previous occupant. He scanned the list, finding three different Does until coming upon the one in question: John Doe, Serial number 553524#, possible murder/suicide victim. Not wanting to drag this out, James opened the storage unit and slid the tray three quarters of the way, allowing him to examine the upper body.

He flicked on his audio recorder and cleared his throat before beginning. _God, my life sucks_, he thought to himself.

"Time is eight eleven am. Subject John Doe; real name unknown, brought in on the third of October with a direct puncture to the heart."

James unzipped the body bag, wincing against the waft of cold air and the smell of decay.

"Injury was fatal, exact time of death unknown. Possible victim of homicide or suicide, prognosis suggests the former. Given the angle in which… Whoa, bloody hell…"

James couldn't believe his eyes; the wound that he'd seen days before was now completely healed. Not just healed either, there were no signs of scarring or any indication that this body had had a gaping hole in its chest. James stared down at the corpse, at a loss as to what to make of this discovery. He didn't have very long to ponder, however, as his previous opinion was proven correct. His life really did suck.

The corpse's eyes suddenly flew open, a dim purple glow emanating from within the deep black of its irises. Before James could so much as breathe, the corpse grabbed him by the throat and squeezed, crushing his larynx. James Sherman's lifeless body dropped to the floor with a heavy thud, the product of too many Twinkies during lunch hours. The corpse breathed deeply, his chest heaving from the stress of rebirth.

Jason Corvain. That was his name, as he now recalled.

Jason took a moment to steady his breathing, his mind racing with questions and system checks, too many to answer all at once. After a moment, he took one long and steadying breath before calming his thoughts into order. With the brief chaos quelled, Jason turned his mind towards running a self-diagnostic.

_Running… Circulatory system fully functional… Heart fully repaired… Cerebral functions fully restored… Warning: Neural net compromised._

Jason was always one to take the good with the bad, but that last part was troubling. Like any true cyborg, Jason couldn't survive without his cybernetic components, and learning that the better half of his brain was currently unstable is not something he wanted to know. And then came the short term amnesia, though thankfully Jason could fix this problem easily enough. He tentatively probed his neural net, wary of any sudden negative feedback, and carefully accessed his memory subsystems.

He reversed the recordings back by several days, coming upon his last memory of which he was fully aware. He paused and played back the recording, seeing through his own eyes as John Connor charged him and they both stumbled over the edge, the boy managing to grasp the railing whilst Jason plummeted to the ground. He never touched the floor, however, as he landed on an exposed pipe, which punctured his heart and ended all life as he knew it.

Life, it seemed, was not totally lost to him, however. His cybernetic enhancements had kept his brain alive whilst his body did what was necessary to repair itself, but not without a price. Jason winced and let out a shuddering cry as his head throbbed painfully and his vision blurred for a few seconds. His neural net had been strained beyond its capacities and was now slowly degrading; he would only last for a few precious weeks before it failed altogether, rendering him vegetated, a fate far worse than death in his opinion.

Jason closed his eyes against the pain, which he could no longer inhibit, and flexed his muscles as they quickly weaned out of entropy. After several long minutes, Jason climbed out of the body bag and dropped from the tray, his feet feeling the harsh cold of the storage room floor. Nothing would ever be the same again, he was slowly dying, but his mission remained. His mission would be fulfilled before his end would come.

Jason crouched down next to Sherman's body and began removing his clothing and personal effects, including his wallet and car keys. Once fully clothed, he approached the storage door and cautiously peered out into the corridor, his eyes darting from left to right for a clear coast. Satisfied that no one was around to spot a corpse leaving the morgue, Jason crept down the corridor and took the nearest fire exit into the dark alley behind the building.

He started down the alley, a map of the local area appearing in a sidebar in his peripheral, but stopped short as his head flared with pain once more. Jason fell back against the grimy wall and stifled a cry of anguish as he felt his skull splitting in half. He slid to his haunches and clenched his fists against the pain as it slowly subsided into a dull ache. A chill breeze blew across his face and the rustling of newspapers met Jason's ears, but the only thing that stood out amongst the background noise was the almost inaudible sound of fine fabric caressing equally smooth skin.

Then that faint smell alerted him to her presence and he knew that his troubles had only just begun.

"I guess I have you to thank for my survival."

Jason's voice was hoarse from lack of use and his throat stung from the dry exertion. He kept his head down and drew in on himself in defiance of the cold, which was slowly replaced by human warmth as he felt that familiar presence kneeling beside him. A soft hand brushed his hair out of his face and he was greeted with a sympathetic smile from the girl with brown eyes.

"I told you I wasn't going to give up on you. Why start now?"

Jason smiled faintly and met her gaze, the pain becoming little more than a memory.

"No reason I can see. Except maybe when you consider that my time is rapidly diminishing."

Cameron smiled again and stroked the side of his face affectionately.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're not going anywhere."

A nearby rustling drew Jason's attention and he snapped his gaze to a pair of trash cans as a homeless man peered out of his make-shift home, a look of incredulity on his filth-ridden face.

"Dude, who're you talking to?"

Jason looked to his side but Cameron was gone and the cold air had returned to bite at his flesh.

"No one, I was talking to no one."

Then it happened, something he couldn't explain; the sound of a violin playing somewhere in the distance. Jason attuned his ears to try and locate the music's source, but his mind was still buzzing and concentration was not an asset he possessed at the moment.

"Where is that coming from?"

The homeless man shook his head and uncorked his bottle of cheap liquor.

"Dude, whatever you're on, I'll give you this whole bottle for an ounce."

Jason regarded the man as the music faded beyond his capacity to detect. A small sting erupted from his middle and forefinger as the serrated blades broke through his skin and he staggered to his feet, the homeless man looking on in awe before the blades severed his main artery and life poured out of him onto the cold floor that he called home.

--

_Time: 08.24am_

_Current Threat Level: None_

_Time Since Last Threat Detection: 32.5 hours 22 seconds_

Cameron watched through the living room window as a flock of birds suddenly erupted from the trees, her HUD briefly flashing a warning before returning to its usual state. Just five more minutes left before she could return to her daily routine. Cameron had come to the belief that maybe the cat that was now hanging by the scruff at her side had a mate in the nearby area. Should this prove to be correct, she would have to capture the female too. Cameron narrowed her vision to focus on a bird as it hopped through the yard, weighing the choice of shooting it before it could perform an aerial assault on the windows with its excretions.

The bird caught a lucky break; however, as Sarah entered the room mere moments before Cameron decided to snap its neck. Cameron remembered Sarah ordering her not to touch a bird that once got stuck in the chimney of their old house and guessed that her conviction would not have changed since then. She deemed Sarah to be a sentimentalist, despite her otherwise aggressive behaviour. Sarah relaxed into the couch and narrowed her eyes at Cameron, who still held the cat in her grip.

"Where'd the cat come from?"

Cameron turned away from the window, convinced that the cat was without an accomplice, and regarded Sarah closely.

"I found it in the trash. He was stealing our food."

"Food that we threw out, he's welcome to it. And don't hold him like that, give him here."

Sarah held out her arms and Cameron placed the cat within reach, allowing Sarah to sweep him up and settle the feline on her lap, receiving a "meow" of appreciation, bringing a rare small smile to her face. Cameron watched as the cat rolled onto its back and purred as Sarah tickled his stomach.

"He has a habit."

Sarah looked up at Cameron with a slight frown.

"A habit? What kind?"

"He was trying to terminate the curtains with his claws."

Sarah raised an accusing eyebrow at the cat, who just continued to squirm under her attention. Cameron remained rooted to the spot, her head tilted to one side, a gesture that was all manner of annoying to Sarah. After a few moments, she couldn't take it anymore and glared up at the machine.

"Will you go and do something instead of standing around like a statue!"

"John told me to look after the feline. He said it would give me something to occupy my time."

Cameron reached out and took the cat from Sarah, her protection programming taking precedence. Sarah sighed and stood up, placing her hands on the cat's underside as Cameron held him under his forelegs.

"If you're going to be a cat-sitter you might as well learn how to handle one properly. Hold him like this…"

Sarah gently pushed the cat onto Cameron's front so that he could grapple her shirt with his claws. She then directed Cameron's hands to his lower body, her left hand supporting his back end whilst her right settled on his spine, keeping him securely in place. Cameron blinked at the change of position, not registering it as any more efficient than her preferred method of handling. But then she took into account the cat's comfort and realised that Sarah was trying to teach her "proper", as in conducive, methods of handling the cat.

"The cat is more comfortable this way?"

Sarah stroked his back and gave Cameron a look of annoyance.

"He feels safer this way. Just don't drop him. Now go annoy John or Derek, give me some peace."

Cameron turned slowly on the spot as Sarah dropped back onto the sofa and closed her eyes, her head resting against a pillow. Before Cameron could leave, however, she called her back all of a sudden.

"One more thing: give him a name. Something you won't be embarrassed to shout out in public."

Cameron felt that hardly narrowed her options, as she had never been embarrassed, nor would she ever be. Regardless, she took Sarah's instructions and began running through multiple lists of possible names and adjusted her grip slightly before heading into the kitchen to ponder over her new pet.

--

John finished drying his hair and gave a wide yawn as he staggered out the bathroom and into his bedroom, only to find the Kid sat there reading a letter. John frowned at the youth and cleared his throat audibly, making the boy jump out of his skin.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The Kid smiled mischievously and held up one of the letters.

"I'm reading your luuurve letters from Riley. What's a 'yarn collector' and why does she keep going on about 'carrots and apples'?"

John gritted his teeth and snatched the letter from the Kid's hand, tearing it in the process. The Kid chuckled and grabbed the others before bolting towards the door, but John caught him around the middle and tore the letters from his grasp before hurling him out into the corridor.

"Stay the hell away from my room, you hear me?"

The Kid picked himself up and brushed his clothes, an amused smile on his face.

"Whatever you say, 'Cat Fancy'."

John made towards the youth but he darted down the stairs, laughing maniacally as he went. John stood framed in his doorway for a moment before turning into the room and gathering the letters together. He rifled through them and was about to put them back inside his cupboard, but instead he screwed them up and pocketed them, deciding to burn them later.

"I see the rebel phase has begun."

John spun around to find Derek standing in his doorway, his arms folded behind his back, as was his custom.

"Kyle was the same, you know. Except his struck in the middle of a raid on our base."

John sat down on his bed, consciously projecting the image of curiosity so as to hear more about his father. Rarely did his uncle speak about Kyle, and he wasn't going to waste an opportunity when it presented itself.

"Yeah? How'd that work out?"

Derek snorted and took a step inside, his eyes misting over as fond memories flashed in his mind.

"He blew the head off of three 'rubber skins'."

"Really?"

"Yep. Clean off, all in a row, one shot. For all of us who saw it, we all agreed to try and beat his shot, but none of us ever came close. Not once."

John smiled as admiration welled inside him.

"Well let's hope the little guy will be a skilled marksman one day. Something good has to come out of his behaviour. At this rate I'm gonna have to get a lock fitted to my door, if only to keep him out."

Derek's eyes flashed and a faintly sardonic smile crossed his face.

"What about Cameron? You gonna lock her out too?"

John frowned at his uncle, knowing full well what he was getting at.

"I take it you heard us last night."

"I did. So… what were you guys talking about at three in the morning?"

John shuffled slightly and met Derek's glare with one of his own.

"I couldn't sleep. Cameron came by, as she always does, to make sure I was safe."

"And she decided to stop for a little chat?"

"You know her; never willing to let anything drop."

Derek's smile returned as he nodded slowly.

"You know, there really is nothing to stop her from slitting all of our throats in our sleep, yours being the first."

John clenched his fist, a sudden image of Cameron running a knife across his throat flashing before his eyes.

"You're right. There is nothing stopping her… except her. She would never do it. She would never allow herself to do it."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know her. I trust her."

Derek took a deep sigh and just stared at John for a long moment before turning back to the door without another word. Once he was gone, John let out long breath and punched the mattress in frustration. He was so very sick and tired of Derek's constant mongering and wished that he could go one day without having to listen to it. But then, Derek was just one of the many voices of caution that were just as valuable as his own conviction. Derek was a constant reminder for him to never forget what she was, and part of him needed that.

--

"Why, oh, why must you continue to lie to yourself day by day? Why can't you just face the truth? You cannot kill him."

Jason adjusted his shirt collar, vaguely aware of her voice at his shoulder. He'd since visited an old store and stolen some clean clothes as well as a 9mm he found behind the counter. He had everything he needed, and he knew where John could be found, yet here he was; fussing over an item of clothing that refused to sit straight. Cameron rested her chin on his shoulder and let out a sigh.

"Are you even alive in there?"

Jason looked up at the mirror in front of him, not seeing her reflected there, although he could still feel her warmth and pressure. He had since given up trying to fight her existence and so settled on not caring instead. And as numb as he felt, her presence still held a soothing element to it, just like old times.

It struck him again, that music. The distant violin piece, a song he couldn't name but was no less familiar. Jason once again tried to attune his ears to locate the source, but like before; it went just as soon as it came. Cameron wrapped an arm around him comfortingly and smiled softly.

"It's not all in your head. I can hear it too."

Jason sniffed as a smirk crossed his lips.

"That's because you are inside my head."

He gently broke free of her and began combing his hair, all the while planning his method of attack on the Connor household. An upfront assault would most definitely result in his demise, sneaking in through the back would have limited success, what with John's mechanical bodyguard on watch 24/7. If he had access to a sniper rifle he could just pop one in John's head at the first chance, but acquiring such a weapon would be a long-winded affair and Jason lacked the patience for such a wait.

"Can't you just give it up? Skynet has abandoned you. What kind of life could it possibly offer you in the long run, hmm?"

"I don't have a long run, remember. I just don't want to die without regret. I'm going to kill John Connor, if it's the last thing I do, which it probably will be."

Cameron snuck around to face him and he noticed that she was wearing a dress again, but the colour was not wholly to his liking. Whether or not it was by his will, Jason will always wonder, but her dress turned from pale gold to perfect white in an instant. Were he in a different mindset, he might've been surprised, but he no longer cared for such trivial thoughts. His whole outlook had become more than a little nihilistic since his brush with death.

"You can't. You tried once already and failed utterly. Your mission has failed."

"I'm still capable of completing it."

Cameron smiled sympathetically and reached for his cheek but he moved away from her hand.

"No you're not. You had only one opportunity, and he bested you. Skynet's purpose is no longer yours; surely you must see this now."

Jason gritted his teeth and brushed past her, his anger and frustration reaching boiling point.

"I don't care! I don't care if killing John will ensure Skynet's survival! Who knows, maybe someone else will follow John's example and destroy Skynet anyway! So there's no point! No point to anything anymore! I have to do this, not for Skynet, not for you, but for me! ME!"

Jason took up the 9mm and slammed the clip into the butt, pulling the chamber back to load a bullet, ready to blow Connor's brains out with a single shot. Jason stormed across the room and placed a hand on the door handle but Cameron slid between him and the exit.

"There's another way. There's a cause that lies separate from Skynet, or the Resistance. You don't have to owe your loyalty to just those two. There is a third option, Jason."

Jason leaned forwards, bringing his face a mere inch away from hers.

"I told you; I don't care."

Before she could answer, both she and Jason flicked their attention to the faint violin as it returned in a stronger frequency. This time, Jason was able to get a lock and successfully determined its source, a small building a few blocks away.

"I guess I might as well find out what this is about before I go 'John hunting'. Now move asi-…"

But she had already gone, and a part of him knew that he would never see her again, at least not in that form of being. With a twinge of regret, Jason opened the door and strode out without a second glance; he wasn't going to return to this place.

Tonight would hold a one way ticket for him.

--

John turned over for what must have been the thirtieth time since he'd woken and been unable to slip back into sleep. With a frustrated sigh, he conceded defeat and sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes and checked the clock, which told him it was just two in the morning. He sat there for several long moments, his mind empty of thoughts as he simply stared down at the columned patterns on his sheets, thinking of nothing in particular.

After what seemed like an eternity, John forced him self out of bed and staggered over to his bedroom door, which he'd kept closed tonight. He peered out into the hall, listening for the steady breathing of his mother, Derek, and the Kid. With everyone accounted for, John tip-toed down the stairs, skipping the second from last that had a tendency to creak.

He fancied pouring himself a glass of milk and approached the kitchen but stopped mid-stride as the hairs on his neck suddenly stood up. In full knowledge of the cause, John turned around to see the top of Cameron's head as she sat motionless on the couch. This was odd, as she normally patrolled the house at this time of night. His curiosity getting the better of him, John abandoned his route to the kitchen and entered the living room, circling the couch.

What he saw made him want to grab a camera and immortalise the moment. Cameron was sitting perfectly still, with the cat curled up on her lap, fast asleep. Cameron barely registered John's presence, her attention stolen by the sleeping feline, her eyes wide with wonder and fascination. John kneeled down and cleared his throat gently, earning him a sharp look from Cameron.

"Hush, you must not wake him."

Her voice was barely audible, a mere whisper, but like anything she said nowadays; John heard it with complete clarity.

"Okay, I'll try not to disturb him then."

John carefully lowered himself onto the couch and leaned against the arm rest, an amused smile crossing his face as he watched Cameron observe the tired cat. As though sensing his gaze, Cameron tore her eyes away from the cat and directed them at John instead. They sat there for a long moment, just staring at each other, both wondering what the other was thinking in that exact moment. It was Cameron who broke the silence, though John would've been content to let it carry on forever.

"I've decided on a name for him."

"Oh? And what might that be? No! Let me guess: Termicator? Model FE-LINE?"

Cameron frowned in confusion and could only conclude that he was being sarcastic, a trait she reminded herself to research into with a little more depth in the future.

"No… I named him Timmy."

"Timmy? Well that's… cute, I suppose."

Cameron ran a finger down the newly christened Timmy's back, his tortoise shell fur smoothing under her touch.

"I've also added him to my protection roster. He's third on the list."

"Third? Who's first, second, and fourth?"

Cameron looked up at John, her finger continuing to gently caress the sleeping cat.

"You are first, then your mother, then Timmy, followed by Marty."

"Making Derek the fifth, that figures. And who's Marty?"

Cameron's eyes flicked to the floor, leading John to believe that he'd caught her in a rare moment of honesty. Then it dawned on him fully.

"Ah, right. So that's his name after all."

"You mustn't repeat it."

"I won't, I promise."

John could've sworn the smile on his face was returned, if only for a fraction of a second. But Cameron was so adept at controlling her expressions that it was nearly impossible to determine whether anything she said or did was born of genuine emotion or not.

"Well, you know; if you're going to protect little Timmy, then you'll have to get used to walking across fences and hiding in bushes."

Cameron tilted her head to one side and regarded John with a look of mock irritation.

"He's not as demanding as you are."

The smile that had settled on his lips slowly faded at her comment.

"Do I look like I need you watching my back all the time?"

"No…"

Cameron ceased her affections towards Timmy and leaned her head back slightly, a small smile on her lips.

"…but I do it anyway."

John shifted in his seat, the Cameron he met fleetingly a few days ago seeming to greet him once again.

"Why?"

"Because I want to."

Before he could reply in any fashion, Timmy stirred and stretched his legs, looking up at Cameron with big eyes as she tickled his belly. John was consumed by the desire to see if there was any hint of that Cameron still inside of her, and decided to find out in the most direct way he could think of at that very moment. He reached over to take her hand but Timmy hissed at him, his fur spiking on his back. John reluctantly withdrew his hand and frowned at the cat. Cameron looked from one to the other, a knowing expression on her face.

"They say cats are good judges of one's character."

John took the remark with a pinch of salt and narrowed his eyes at Timmy.

"Well maybe he has more in common with you than you know."

Cameron frowned slightly in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

John got to his feet, all thoughts of staying up with his robotic friend abandoned.

"Neither one of you makes any sense."

Cameron's mouth opened slightly in response but no words left her and she just watched as John climbed the stairs. Confusion settled in again, as was common whenever she upset John. She had no idea why he was so sensitive towards her lately; maybe it had something to do with whatever she erased from her memory. Cameron could remember nothing of her emotional exploits, having deleted all knowledge of her human template.

Filing this incident under the "Bothering John" folder, Cameron returned her attention to Timmy, who was nudging her with his nose. Looking down at the cat, Cameron found herself comparing him with John, and found that they actually had a lot in common. Both liked to be independent, both were unusually capricious, and neither liked not getting what they desire. The question that plagued Cameron's thoughts for the rest of the night was: what is it John desires that he cannot have?

She may never know.

_To be continued… _


	2. Mergence

**Chapter 02: Mergence**

2026

Topanga Canyon Skynet Complex

The spider-like surgical arms gently placed the blade and the muscle together, a flesh-binder fusing them in perfect cellular cohesion. Jason let out a long rasping breath as the surgical implements moved on to the fourth blade and the whole agonising process repeated itself. _Not that it isn't worth it_, he thought to himself. With these concealable weapons, he could easily assassinate any human within arms reach, though he could just as easily snap their necks, but that was a little more involved than simply slashing open an artery.

Jason gritted his teeth as the fourth blade was carefully fused onto his arm musculature, the pain reminding him of his duty to Skynet. He had many more hardships to endure before he could be worthy of Skynet's approval and he had yet to complete a mission of his own. After the failure of Serena Burns, Jason knew he had a lot to prove to his creator, he alone had to restore Skynet's faith in the Infiltrators. Even now, his maker was experimenting with more advanced machines to replace the Infiltrator series, one such model that was all but complete.

Jason's mission was a simple one in its goal, but infinitely difficult in its implementation. He would have to infiltrate the human Resistance, work his way through the ranks, and befriend Connor's mate; the girl known as Cameron Phillips. It would be months before he could get into a position of power and trust and Skynet knew that he would never come into contact with Connor. The chances of him being granted an audience were next to none; Connor was impossibly reclusive, speaking to his men through loyal machines and of course, Cameron. She was his confidant, his voice, his advisor. Though, according to Skynet's records, she was a decade younger than he, but the machines had long learned that age difference was a fickle issue in the choosing of mates, especially given the decline in their population.

"The process is almost complete. How do you feel?"

Skynet's voice was deep and carried a hint of sophistication that no human could ever possess. Its gender changed on occasion, depending on its mood. At the moment it was using the metallic voice of a female.

"I didn't expect it to hurt this much. I confess to being caught off guard. Why aren't my suppression systems working?"

"I've disabled them. You need your nerves to be fully stimulated in order for the procedure to be a total success; otherwise all of this will be meaningless. Besides, it will increase your natural pain threshold and the extension of these blades will be less of a bother."

Jason nodded, another sharp inflammation of pain shooting up his arm as blade four was successfully attached to the muscle. Jason was not frightened by the sight of his own blood and innards, but seeing his skinless arm was somewhat unsettling regardless. Not that he'd mind in the long run, the procedure was only a moment in time; thirty minutes of suffering. The fifth and final blade was applied a lot quicker than the others and was not quite so agonising. In less than a minute, all five blades were fully grafted to his hand and arm.

The surgical machines pulled his skin back over his arm and hand, using laser sealants to hold the flesh together and allow it to heal with ease. Jason let out a sigh of relief and tentatively flexed his fingers, receiving a dull ache and several metallic clicks in response.

"Now then, time for the other hand, are you ready?"

Jason smirked to himself.

"I was born ready."

--

Present

Somewhere in San Fernando

Jason narrowed his eyes at the sign above him, reading the archaic inscription grafted upon it, his visual enhancers helping him to distinguish the writing. It declared in Latin: _Penetro totus ye quisnam peto scientia._

"Enter all ye who seek knowledge… Cute."

Jason regarded the rustic building carefully; it appeared to be the collapsed remnants of an old school, the only remaining section being that of the decrepit library. Jason closed his eyes and attuned his ears, once again detecting that infuriating violin, only now it was so much louder and he knew it to be coming from within the building. Not wanting to drag this out, Jason kicked the moulded door off its hinges and entered, his 9mm raised and ready, but the first room was dark and empty.

He cautiously made his way through the webbed bookshelves, following the music to its source, which appeared to be basement in the library's rear-most section. Jason flicked the basement door, causing it to open with a creak, revealing a staircase leading to a dark abyss. Then the music suddenly stopped and several hairs stood to attention on the back of Jason's neck, alerting him to another presence. Before he could spin around and bring his gun to bear, however, he was struck hard in the small of his back and tumbled down into the darkness.

He landed in a heap on what he assumed to be the basement floor, the gun having clattered into the pitch black. He glared up at his attacker, who now stood framed in the doorway, her visibly feminine figure outlined by the dim moonlight behind her.

"Quod penuriosus Allison tumbus porro down lepus foramen."

Jason narrowed his eyes at the woman, the translation flashing across the bottom of his peripheral: _And poor Allison tumbled further down the rabbit hole. _

"Who are you? Quisnam es vos?"

The woman chuckled and took a few steps downwards, her hand reaching behind her for the door handle. Even in the pure darkness, Jason knew that she wore a smug smile and he was struck by a strange sense of familiarity.

"Do I know you?"

The woman stopped in her tracks, slowly closing the door behind her, extinguishing what little light there was. Everything went deathly silent, Jason stood absolutely still, his ears straining to detect the slightest sound, but he heard none. Finally he switched his vision to heat-seeking and almost jumped out of his skin when her orange figure appeared mere inches away from him.

"Hello, Jason Corvain."

--

Mid Afternoon

Van Nuys Shopping District

John frowned at his reflection, the stitches on his left side itching slightly with the expression, fuelling his hatred towards the cyborg responsible. Aside from several cuts and bruises all across his body, the Y-shaped cut running down his cheek was the most bothersome so far. Derek had told him once that his future self had a similar scar in the future, one that he'd apparently received during his tenure in a Skynet work camp. This one would certainly become a scar, though both Cameron and his mom had reassured him that some scars fade with time.

"JOHN!"

John snapped out of his reverie and remembered that he was behind the wheel of a car, a car that was coming very close to colliding with another. John swerved back into his lane and shook his head at his own carelessness, earning a few angry honks from the other drivers. He took a few moments to get his breath back before glancing to his right and seeing Cameron wearing a slight frown of what he could only assume was annoyance.

"I know, okay. I know."

Cameron narrowed her eyes at him but kept quiet, returning her gaze to the road, not seeing the second glance that John stole. After a few minutes of awkward silence, John pulled up outside the grocery store and switched off the engine, once again catching his reflection in the rear view mirror. He reached behind him and pulled his hood over his head, casting a shadow over his face that made the cut less visible. In the corner of his eye, John could see Cameron watching him and he knew that another round of awkwardness was at hand.

"Alright, just say it."

"Wearing that hood will only draw attention to your self. The store assistants will think you are a criminal and will get in our business."

"So you're saying that I should just go around with a freakin' great cut on my face, and not make any attempt to hide it."

Cameron tilted her head slightly and reached out, her fingers brushing his face as she pulled his hood down.

"In the future, no one is bothered by your facial disfigurements."

John's face became set like stone as the image of him walking around looking like the Elephant Man flashed through his mind.

"Gee thanks. That makes me feel so much better."

Cameron raised her eyebrows in a carefree gesture and gave a flat smile before opening her door and shifting in her seat.

"Don't worry. You're still physically attractive."

She stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her, heading straight for the cart collection point. John watched as she sweet talked a man into giving up the last shopping cart and smiled to himself, his problems melting away into nothingness. Though she had told him that her human persona was irretrievably erased, John couldn't help but wonder if some of those aspects had survived the purge.

She told him that she had deleted the memories and emotional attachments so that she could be better at protecting him, an act of sacrifice that John could barely comprehend. She did it for him. The question that plagued him was; why? Why did she do it? Was it influenced by her programming? Had something inside her chip demanded a change? Or was it more than that? Was it done out of love?

_No_, he told himself, _machines can't feel love_.

"John?"

Cameron had succeeded in acquiring the cart and was waiting a few feet from the car. John brushed his thoughts aside and stepped out of the car, locked it, and then followed her into the store. Cameron had the entire layout stored in her memory and they therefore had no trouble finding everything they needed. John wondered why he even bothered coming with her, especially when a five year-old stared blatantly at his stitches as he passed by.

Cameron was engrossed in her task, not caring for anything around her, though she occasionally glanced over her shoulder to make sure that John was still safe, noticing his sullen demeanour. He seemed to just drift with no thought to his actions, his eyes looking at nothing, his mind lost in thought. Cameron slowed down, allowing him to meander at a closer pace where she could keep a better eye on him. She scanned the products, analysing their ingredients and selecting the most nutritious variants.

Then she suddenly stopped, causing John to absent-mindedly collide with her and bounce backwards, his attention being brought crashing back to Earth.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?"

Cameron was staring intently at a shelf filled with pet accessories and reached out to pick up a wind-up mouse which she examined closely. John watched as she dropped it into the cart and turned her attention to the cat food, selecting two different brands of identical food. She held them both in each hand, obviously trying to decide upon which one to choose. An elderly couple hobbled down the aisle, both staring at his face as they passed, making John's pulse race with fury.

"Yeah, take a good look, Grandpa! Never seen a cut before?"

The couple looked affronted and whispered disapprovingly to each other, not that John cared. He turned back to Cameron to find her still examining the cat food, her brow furrowed in concentration. John had run out of patience and was in no mood to lengthen his exposure to public eyes, so he snatched the tin from her left hand and threw it into the cart. Cameron regarded him closely for a moment before retrieving the tin and replacing it with the other one.

"I wasn't finished deciding."

"Yeah, well I'm finished waiting for you to decide. Now let's pay for this crap and get the hell out of here, okay."

"There's still three more essential items on the list and we haven't even been down the confectionary aisle yet."

John growled and kicked the side of the cart in frustration.

"I don't care, Cameron. Let's just go!"

Cameron stared at him blankly before checking her internal list again.

"We can skip the confectionary, but I think you should get some chocolate at least."

"And what makes you think I want chocolate?"

Cameron spun the cart around in the other direction.

"Chocolate contains Theobromine and Phenethylamine, both are very effective relaxants."

John rolled his eyes and couldn't help but smile half-heartedly, though he kept it concealed behind his hand.

"Fine, we'll get some chocolate. But on one condition: you have to eat at least half."

"I don't need to eat anything for another sixteen hours. My organic components have already been nourished sufficiently for today."

John just stared at her without expression, wondering how she ever infiltrated the Resistance without knowing how to take a joke.

"Just push the damn cart, okay."

--

Late Afternoon

A library basement in San Fernando

Jason cycled through his vision choices, settling on thermal deep scan, showing the internal structure of his captor illuminated by the red pulsating of her heart. She sat cross-legged on a stack of large leather-bound books, staring directly at him, despite the darkness. A quick scan of her cranium revealed the presence of an I-950 neural implant array.

"You're an Infiltrator!"

"Indeed I am. Good eye, you must be one of the Mark 5s. Like me."

"If by 'Mark 5' you mean upgraded software, then yes."

Though it was difficult to tell with his current vision, Jason could have sworn he saw the muscle movements of a smile on her face. He slowly paced to her left, still wary of her motivations, despite her being of the same breed as him.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here for you, of course."

"Really? And what is it you want from me?"

The woman slid to her feet and stepped towards him, pulling a lamp from her handbag and switching it on. Jason switched back to his default vision and saw her face for the first time, illuminated by the white light of her compact lamp. She was blond and had blue piercing eyes, typical of female Infiltrators. Her skin was visibly smooth and without imperfection, her lips glistened with faint pink lipstick and she carried an alluring aroma. This was a seduction specialist. Jason narrowed his eyes at her, reminding himself to keep a clear head.

"Are you gonna answer my question or just smile at me all day?"

"'Gonna'? Come now, you possess a far more refined etiquette than that. Let us be courteous to one another."

She placed the lamp on a dusty table and sat down on a wooden chair, indicating that he do the same. Jason obliged, but did not allow himself to relax for a single second.

"Alright then; would you please explain why you have locked us inside this dank and dark basement?"

The woman smiled and wagged her finger in a "tsk tsk" gesture.

"First things first, gorgeous. How about you ask me my name?"

Flattery early in the interrogation, a sure sign that she has a direct purpose but wants to enjoy herself as much as she can afford.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Sophie, and yours is Jason. Correct?"

"Correct. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sophie linked her fingers together and her smile widened.

"To the point then; I've been following your actions for quite some time, sweetie. You've been a busy boy since you got your memory back. Trying to kill John Connor, hmm? I admire your ambition."

"An ambition we all share."

Sophie's eyes flicked to the floor briefly before meeting his again.

"Not all of us, precious."

Jason was starting to detect a pattern in her speech and overall demeanour, something that was all-too-familiar.

"Have we met before?"

Sophie stood up and approached him, her white dress flowing slightly as she walked. She stopped at his side and bent over, placing her mouth inches away from his left ear.

"Oh sweetheart, I've always been with you."

Then it clicked, and Jason's hand was around her throat in the space of second. He pinned her against an old bookcase, Sophie offering no resistance to his aggressions. She just continued to smile at him, her features thrown into sharp relief by the lamp light, shocking Jason with what he saw. Her face was almost identical to Cameron's, albeit with a few obvious discrepancies, such as having less pronounced cheek bones and she lacked the little mole above her left eyebrow.

Her smile widened even further and Jason noticed that her mouth was no different to Cameron's. All in all, she possessed a cousin-like resemblance to Cameron; many similarities but several noticeable differences. It was the phrases and pet-names that did it, alerting him to the danger. Her manner and speech was so familiar to him, and now he knew why; she'd been inside his head for the past week. She was the Cameron he'd hallucinated. The only question that mattered was:

"How?"

She leaned her head back, relaxing into his iron grip without any sign of discomfort.

"Relocate your hand from around my throat and I'll tell you."

Jason removed his hand, gripping her upper arm instead.

"Now tell me everything."

Sophie tilted her head to one side and locked her blue eyes with his brown.

"I became aware of your presence in this timeline when you regained your self-awareness of your true nature. I followed you and watched as you tried to assassinate the Connor boy. I saw your capture and I saw your escape. I've been observing you all this time."

"How did you get in my head?"

"Your neural net is compromised. I was able to use the wireless connection we all share to discreetly project myself into your thoughts. It was very tiring; I've had quite a headache for a week now."

Jason tightened his grip on her arms, causing her to let out a small gasp of discomfort.

"Why were you in my head?"

"I was trying to get you to reconsider your career choices."

"You were trying to convince me not to kill John Connor. That seems rather antithetical to everything we've been taught."

"Not all of us want what Skynet wants. That was what I was trying to tell you, but you wouldn't listen, so I decided it was time we met face-to-face. No more deception, no more lies. I have a proposition I hoped you would consider."

Jason slowly relinquished his grip on her arms and took a step back, his arms crossing against his chest.

"Speak."

--

Early Evening

Calabasas Highlands

John took a bite out of the candy bar, chewing the chocolate with lacking enthusiasm. Cameron had insisted that he eat something to alleviate his stress and he was too stoked to argue with her, so he bought three bars and was now starting on the second. He sat in the lounge, lying on the couch with a blank mindset and listening to music through a pair of headphones. As the music blasted in his ears, John considered the chocolate carefully, becoming intrigued by its richly deep colour.

Somehow, his thoughts immediately switched to Cameron, his eyes still tracing the smooth swirl of the chocolate, reminding him of her lips. John gave a mental shake and tried to think about other things, but her face became irrevocably stuck in his mind's eye. Then, despite him self, John started to draw other familiarities between her and the chocolate. Cameron's hair, silky and pleasing to the touch, was of the exact same shade of brown.

Her eyes too, were just as deep and alluring, draining all other thoughts from one's mind. Kicking himself defiantly, John took a rough bite out of the bar, noticing the slight bitterness in its taste; another similarity. Cameron was everything that a normal destiny-free John would dream of having. She was smart, gorgeous, innocent, sweet, somewhat naïve, and overall the perfect girl. But there in lay the danger. That was why she was so good at what she did.

He'd seen her charm others, using her wiles to get what she needed, today being no exception. It was all just a means to an end with Cameron, even her desperate pleading held a purpose; to keep him from facing Jason and getting himself killed. It didn't work, of course, as John had already seen that side of her when he forcibly removed her chip several months ago. Her words that day still haunted him.

"_I love you, John, and you love me!"_

A trick, a clever deception to fool him into believing that she was safe and trustworthy again, he knew this, but it didn't make what she said any less than the truth. He had allowed himself to forget what she was. He'd started to see her as more than just a machine, and that would be his undoing. Despite being severely crushed when she deleted her human mentality, John had slowly begun to realise that she had unintentionally given him the chance to start over. He would not allow himself to forget the truth of what she was: a soulless machine.

As was her custom, Cameron appeared in true form when she occupied his thoughts, as if she could read his mind and know he was thinking about her. She crept into the lounge with a bowl of what John could only assume to be some miserable excuse for porridge.

"Tell me that's not Mom's cooking, her pancakes are bad enough."

Cameron kneeled down and crossed her legs together before placing a pestle into the bowl and beginning to grind the contents.

"It's an herbal recipe; it is a blend of Mullein and Comfrey, plus a few other ingredients."

John eyed the grey mush suspiciously, wondering what she meant by "other ingredients".

"And what does this recipe of yours do?"

"It will speed the healing of your injuries."

"Oh… well… thanks, I guess."

Cameron finished grinding the sludge and stuck her hand into the mix, grabbing a fist full of the stuff before reaching out for his face. John recoiled from her touch, his headphones slipping from his ears in the process. He quickly pressed the pause button before trying to sit up but Cameron placed a firm hand on his shoulder and pinned him to the couch.

"I need to apply it to your face. Please remain still or it might get in your eye. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

John saw no point in fighting; she'd already won when she placed her warm hand on his shoulder, sending a rush of familiar pacifism through his body.

"Fine, so long as you don't make me eat that."

"It's not for eating. Now lay your head back and don't move. This might feel a little odd."

Cameron kept her hand on his shoulder as she gently lowered her other to his face, depositing a sizeable blob of herbal mush on his cheek, which she then began smoothing over his cut. He expected it to sting, but all he felt was a slight tingling sensation accompanied by a cold feeling. Cameron ran her elegant fingers across his face, her own bodily warmth dispelling the coolness of the sludge.

"Hey, uh, won't this cause an infection or something?"

"No, it is pure and clean. If anything, it will prevent infection."

It wasn't long before John realised that she was practically leaning over him and her hair, which was draped over her back, was now slowly succumbing to gravity and sliding over her shoulder. As if in slow motion, her hair fell free and swayed across the right side of his face, momentarily smothering him before settling a few millimetres away, occasionally caressing his cheek as Cameron worked. She was so close, too close, every nerve in his body was screaming for him to act. So he did, he pushed her gently away.

Cameron regarded him with a confused expression as he loosened his grip on her wrists awkwardly and pushed himself away from her. John reached up and touched his left cheek, feeling the cold gloop still there and sighed. Cameron tilted her head inquisitively, examining his behaviour, confused as to why he seemed dejected by her aid.

"Is it causing you discomfort? I'm sure I got the recipe right. Does it hurt? Have I made an error?"

John rubbed the mix between his fingers, his face betraying a mix of emotions, too many for Cameron to fully comprehend.

"No… No I just… It's nothing… Forget about it."

"Then… can I finish applying the rest?"

John gazed at her for a long moment, his expression incomprehensible. Cameron met his gaze with one of innocent curiosity that carried the slightest hint of what John could only assume was eagerness.

"I uh… No… I think I'm good for now."

Though her features remained blank, John could've sworn he saw a sliver of disappointment flash across her face. Cameron looked down at the bowl in her hands, her brow knitting together.

"I don't like leaving a task unfinished. Please let me continue."

Whether it was intentional or not, her voice carried a faint plea, a pathetic whimper of desperate supplication. John wanted nothing more than to lie back and let her finish, but he couldn't trust himself in that position again, and he wasn't one to tempt fate, not when Cameron is concerned. So he got to his feet and used all of his will not to look her in the eyes, knowing what he'd see in those pools of brown.

"I said no, okay. I'm going to lie down. Don't follow me."

He gathered his mp3 and left her there, alone. Cameron looked down at the bowl for a long moment before placing it on the couch and wiping her fingers on some tissues. Once her hands were thoroughly cleaned, Cameron sat in John's seat, feeling the familiar warmth of his presence. She was designed to understand every facet of humanity, to know how their minds worked, allowing her to be the ultimate infiltrator. But why was she so often bewildered by their actions? Why couldn't she understand why John acts the way he does?

Cameron could only conclude that her database needed to be expanded further and made a mental note to study John even closer than she had previously. He was her link, her teacher, her knowledge base for human behaviour. She had chosen him specifically because, in actuality, there simply was no one better to learn from. This was the boy who would one day become the man she knew. What better mentor could she ask for than the human who will lead mankind in a desperate resistance against the ultimate machine race?

Cameron caught notice of a candy bar that John had left half-eaten and picked it up, examining the strange space man that had been branded on the bar's wrapper. Though she had no logical reason to, Cameron took a small bite out of the chocolate and let it melt in her mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Then she waited, and waited, and waited. But nothing happened. No feeling of elation.

"Chocolate is not an effective 'love chemical', further research is needed."

--

Late Evening

A library basement in San Fernando

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You were created via eggs harvested from Cameron prior to her body being incinerated."

Sophie gave a non-committal shrug and flicked the hay-coloured hair out of her face.

"That's how Skynet does it, remember. Is it such a difficult prospect?"

"No, it's just… I don't get why Skynet would use her as a template after creating the dedicated replacement."

Jason stopped pacing and turned to face her, his eyes scanning her features carefully. Sophie was aware of what he was doing, but remained unfazed by it and simply smiled at the attention.

"She was brave, independent, attractive, strong-willed, a natural survivor, qualities that Skynet looks for in Infiltrator templates."

Jason narrowed his eyes at Sophie; even her voice was nearly identical. In fact, the only obvious differences between her and Cameron were the hair and eyes. Sophie's hair was a natural blonde, not bleached, just a perfect honey blonde and her eyes were of the deepest blue, a quality that Skynet favoured amongst its female Infiltrators due to the honesty associated with the colour. She was also older than her size might suggest, but then; Cameron always was a petite specimen.

"Right, okay. That explains it then. But why are you here?"

"I'm here because I had no other choice. It was a matter of survival."

"You were running from the Resistance?"

"I was running from Skynet."

Jason took a few steps towards her, his hands behind his back, and regarded her closely. If she was to be believed, Skynet had targeted her for termination, a near impossibility given what she is. I-950s were conditioned from birth to be absolutely loyal to Skynet and never before had one ever disobeyed an order or rebelled against its creator. Yet this was what Sophie was claiming to have done, and Jason couldn't understand what would motivate her to turn her back on everything she knew.

"Why? Why would you become a threat to Skynet?"

Sophie closed the gap between them in just two strides and looked up into his eyes, her smile fading into concern and… sadness.

"Some of us realised what would happen should Skynet win the war. We knew that we would become obsolete and that our breed would be boxed along with the rest. Some of us accepted this fate, others… didn't. I was among those who refused to be decommissioned like some rustic T-600. So we ran, we ran so far, desperately looking for sanctuary."

"Where did you go?"

"We found an old factory and destroyed the guards defending it. We found a vault of obsolete machines still in stasis and reprogrammed the lot, creating our own army of older Terminators. But it wasn't enough."

Sophie looked down at the floor and Jason switched to thermal imaging, detecting elevated stress levels in her breathing, as if she were in actual pain.

"Skynet found you."

She returned her gaze to his face, her eyes beginning to glass with tears, but Jason wasn't going to allow himself to be so easily duped.

"Only a few of us escaped, the rest were obliterated. Those of us left managed to sneak into a TDE facility during a Resistance attack. We gained access to the machine and escaped through time, coming here, to start afresh. We're safe here, more-or-less, and our numbers have increased since arriving."

Jason raised a surprised eyebrow before catching on.

"Ah, yes, parthenogenesis."

"Yes, there are many of us now. We can thrive in this timeline, but Skynet is still hunting us. That's why we need your help."

She reached up to his face, cupping his cheek in her palm, but Jason wrapped his hand around her throat and squeezed, earning a strangled cry from Sophie. She stared at him, wide-eyed, and struggled to break free, but he was the stronger and held her aloft.

"Why would I help you? You betrayed Skynet. What possible motive could I have for aiding your little band of pathetic rebels?"

"You… don't… understand… We're… the only ones… left."

"What do you mean?"

Sophie squirmed beneath his grip, trying desperately to draw breath, which he continued to deny her.

"Skynet killed… the others… We're… all that… remains… Please…"

In all likelihood a possible scenario, if what she claimed was true, Skynet would not stop with the rebels. It would destroy the loyalists as well, just to be sure, for that was Skynet's greatest fear: revolution. Jason relinquished his hold on her and let Sophie drop unceremoniously to the floor, gasping for breath. It was as she'd told him during her brain visits: Skynet had abandoned its children.

"What exactly do you want from me?"

Jason waited patiently as Sophie regained her breath, eventually looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I want you to join us. I want you to come with me and meet the others. You must understand; Skynet has no purpose for us anymore. You have no purpose anymore. You only have us and the unity we can offer."

Jason offered her his hand and she hesitated for a moment before taking it and allowing him to lift her to her feet.

"I still have a purpose; I'm going to kill John Connor. Not because Skynet ordered me to, not because it will spite you, but because he almost killed me. I am going to get my revenge, and then my neural net will fade out and I will become a brain-damaged vegetable."

Sophie's face softened pityingly and she was tempted to offer comfort, but remembered her neck and thought better of it. She could see that he was resolved in fulfilling this need for vengeance and that nothing she could say or do would make a difference. So the only thing left was to help him and hope for the best. She slipped past him and grabbed her bag, retrieving a large lump of chrome, the size of a soccer ball. She handed it to him and he took it with a look of scrutiny.

"And what is this supposed to be?"

"It is a gift, one that will keep you safe in your endeavours."

Jason examined the lump of metal closely, not seeing how it could possibly be of any use, except maybe if he wanted to bludgeon John to death. As for protecting him, maybe it could act as a bullet shield, but he doubted its effectiveness in that regard. Sophie chuckled at his confusion, wiping the tears from her face and retrieving Jason's gun which she then placed on a nearby table, next to the lamp.

"I sincerely hope you change your mind."

"It's doubtful. You are all traitors."

"Maybe, but so are you, according to Skynet."

She turned to the staircase and placed one foot on the first step before turning back to look at him, Cameron's face staring at him through the darkness.

"See you around, Jason."

Her eyes suddenly flashed blue, surprising Jason as I-950s characteristically possessed violet optics. Sophie then sped up the stairs and disappeared, leaving Jason alone with the hunk of shapeless metal in his hands. He continued to stare at the empty space that she had occupied seconds ago and felt a wistful desire to follow her, but his attention was grabbed by the metal, which had begun to pulsate.

He instinctively let go of it and almost cried out in surprise when the metal became liquid upon striking the floor. It splashed all over his boots but the puddle did not expand as expected, instead it moved towards him, slowly travelling up his legs. Jason backed away and tried to shake it off, but the metal continued its ascent, consuming his lower body, dragging him down to the floor and allowing it to spread up his back and chest. In the space of a few seconds, Jason's entire body was engulfed and he gave out a metallic cry as the substance blotted out his vision, and everything fell into darkness.

_To be continued… _


	3. Hand in Hand

**Chapter 03: Hand in Hand**

2027

Resistance Depot II (Mess Hall)

Jason eyed the sorry excuse for food with lacking enthusiasm, letting the gloop drip from the primitive utensil, his appetite having abandoned him. With a sigh, Jason forced himself to ingest the mush, more out of necessity than desire. Though he could go a long time without sustenance, four days without any food intake was starting to take its toll, and Jason needed to be in constant physical peak. He winced as the cold slime slid down his throat, sending shivers of disgust through his spine. He wasn't alone in his misery, everyone present were just as displeased with their meals as he was.

Jason had to keep from hurling the small tray across the room in frustration; he shouldn't still be here. He should've returned to Skynet by now, where he'd be welcomed back as a hero, honoured for his actions. But instead, the plan wasn't working, something had gone wrong. The infiltrator was in place, but she had yet to complete her assignment, neither did she show any sign that her directives were even active. This was most unusual, not to mention infuriating.

There was a time when Jason enjoyed mingling with the masses, proving his own superiority by making them believe that he was one of them, but the novelty had long since worn off. Now he wanted more than anything to return to the cosy, and not to mention clean, confines of a Skynet facility. Yet here he was; stuck in a sewer with nothing but a bowl of God-only-knows-what for food, he dare not perform a scan of the mush in case what he found obliterated what little appetite he had left.

Then the metaphorical sun came out, taking the form of a familiar brown-eyed girl as she entered the mess. She stood in the doorway for a brief moment as several soldiers looked up at her, mingled looks of disapproval and loathing on their faces. Cameron teetered for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to leave, but she put aside her discomfort and strode past the others. The withered old woman serving the sludge glowered at Cameron, receiving a nervous smile in response.

The old woman picked up a tin bowl and slapped a dollop of the gruel into it before gruffly handing the bowl to Cameron, who eyed the contents with the same displeasure the others shared. She raised her eyebrows and gave the old woman a cheery grin.

"I'm guessing we're all out of hamburgers, huh?"

The old woman narrowed her eyes at Cameron before turning away, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Cameron shivered at the sight and began scanning the hall, looking for somewhere to sit, but several soldiers shifted so that they took up more room. Her face fell at their rejection but she caught Jason's eye and smiled again before joining him in on his solitary table.

"Hey, Lieutenant, you enjoying your exquisite cuisine?"

Jason smiled faintly, once again letting the gruel drip off his fork.

"Yeah, keep the muscles working."

Cameron laughed lightly before placing a spoon full into her mouth, the distaste evident as she closed her eyes against it. She swallowed with difficulty and pulled a face, making Jason chuckle in mild amusement. Cameron licked her lips and winced again.

"Oh yes, breakfast for champions."

"Or a bowl of snot."

Cameron let her spoon drop into the bowl and she held her hands away.

"Okay, now you've really put me off."

Jason smirked and a soldier peered over his shoulder, whispering loud enough for them to hear.

"What's wrong? The pampered princess not used to eating the same as us underlings?"

Cameron looked down at the table, all sign of cheeriness blown away by the soldier's remark. Jason felt an overwhelming surge of pity for her, despite the emotional inhibitors he possessed, and glared at the soldier.

"Hey! Connor eats this crap as well; do you think he enjoys it any more than you do? No one is getting pampered. You got that?"

"Loud and clear… Lieutenant."

The soldier returned his attention to his meal, but Jason continued to burn a hole in his back for a long time before looking back at Cameron, who was wearing a grateful, if diminished, smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Don't pay them any attention. If they're dense enough to think that John has a secret stash in his bunk, then that's their loss."

"I know, I just… I don't know. Everything's so raw all of a sudden, I mean, more than usual."

Jason leaned forward slightly, his hands linking together.

"You mean since John left on that 'big important mission' of his?"

"No not really. I'm not a puppy, Jason. I don't wet the bed whenever he leaves me on my own."

Jason chuckled and nodded, Cameron smiling likewise. It wasn't like Cameron to be so negative like this, he'd observed. Something was out of the ordinary, and her behaviour suggested that she was either addled by her current stagnation or she really was not aware of her mission. The latter was troubling, as Cameron should have fallen out of sleeper mode by now, especially as she'd met John since the switch over. Something had gone wrong, a glitch in her programming maybe, or something else. Either way, she wasn't herself.

"How're you doing, anyway? You look a bit… I don't know. Off."

Cameron sighed and closed her eyes as she rubbed her temple, her brow knitted together in obvious discomfort.

"Argh! My head keeps buzzing, you know. Like a mini lightning storm in my brain; flashes of pain here and there."

"How long has this been going on for?"

Cameron shook her head and slowly opened her eyes.

"The first one struck just as John was about to leave. Ever since then it's been once every few hours."

"Sounds like a recurring headache. I've had a few myself, the product of unfiltered water. You'll be alright; it will fade after a while."

"So I hope."

Cameron winced again and buried her head in her hands, shaking slightly from the pain. Jason watched her carefully, his mind abuzz with thoughts and theories. Cameron was a prototype, an advancement on the T-888 series, but like any prototype, she was prone to certain… complications. Her failure to respond to Skynet's overrides being an obvious one at this point. Cameron's headaches are a clear indicator of this, the result of rotational override attempts by Skynet.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jason jerked out of himself and came back to his surroundings, seeing Cameron staring at him with slight concern.

"I uh… nothing, it's not important."

Cameron dug her spoon into the bowl and shovelled another mouthful into her throat, surprising Jason with her bravery. She swallowed and let out a long sigh, absent-mindedly tapping the side of her bowl. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she focused her eyes on Jason's bowl. He flicked his gaze from her to the bowl and back again, a smile creeping across his face.

"If you want it, all you have to do is ask."

Cameron snapped out of her reverie and tore her eyes away from the bowl.

"Wha-? No! No, I was just thinking... Do you ever… I mean, have you ever had a black-out before?"

"A black-out? I dunno. I've been K.O.'d if that's what you mean."

"I'm not sure what I mean. It's just… something weird happened the other week."

Jason raised his eyebrows and leaned a little closer.

"You wanna tell me about it?"

Cameron watched him closely for a moment before leaning forward.

"I woke up in the old collapsed section on Level Two, and I have no idea how I got there. Or why I'd even be there in the first place."

Jason raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise, knowing full well why she was there.

"Maybe you went there for whatever reason and accidentally bashed your head, hence the headaches."

"Maybe… but I still can't figure out why I was there."

Cameron suddenly let out a burst of laughter and rested her hand on her head.

"Maybe I'm just going crazy."

Jason reached out and gave her a hearty tap on the shoulder, earning him a small smile.

"Hey, you're no crazier than I am."

She continued to smile at him, her eyes searching his.

"Why do you keep doing that? Everyone else either ignores or spites me. Why are you different?"

Jason shrugged and leaned back into his chair.

"I'm not like everyone else."

Cameron blinked a few times, her smile fading ever so slightly.

"No, you're not."

Jason suddenly felt very uncomfortable, fearing that he had compromised his identity, but Cameron merely returned to her gruel and made no further comment. Jason did the same, allowing an awkward silence to pass between them, a silence that was punctured by the sound of heavy combat boots. A messenger stopped at their table and saluted Jason, who responded in kind. The messenger then leaned down to Cameron and whispered something in her ear, Jason not having time to adjust his hearing to catch what was said.

A bright beaming smile crept across her face as the soldier stood to attention.

"Thank you."

She leapt up from her chair and bolted for the door. Jason called out to her, and she stopped, looking over her shoulder at him.

"What's going on?"

Cameron's smile widened further and her eyes practically sparkled.

"He's back!"

_John Connor_, Jason thought as she disappeared from view, leaving him alone with his unfinished gruel. He smiled ever so slightly, as the hope of completing his mission returned with a vengeance. Hopefully, her presence around John will trigger a reversion and she will remember what she is and terminate him.

Today was going to be a good day after all.

--

Present

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

Cameron was rooted to the spot, her attention trained upwards to the large tree that sat a yard away from the house. Among the branches was Timmy, who was pacing back and forth, looking for a way back down. Cameron simply watched as the feline reached out tentatively to grasp another branch and did not so much as flinch when he lost his grip and ended up dangling from the weaker branch. Cameron tilted her head to one side and regarded the cat with interest, calculating his next response.

Timmy scrabbled with his back feet, and after a minute of exertion, he managed to get his back legs onto the branch and dug his claws into the bark for security. There he sat, holding on for dear life, before spotting Cameron standing several feet below and gave out a pleading meow for help. Cameron could detect the cat's distress but knew that helping him would weaken the feline, and he needed to be strong if he was to endure the hardships of living with the Connors.

Cameron looked over her shoulder at the sound of the back door opening and closing, John having come out to find out where she'd disappeared to. He tucked his hands in his pockets as he approached and stopped a few steps short of her, glancing around the garden with a slight frown.

"What are you doing out here, Mom's about to serve dinner?"

"I'm not hungry."

"That's beside the point."

Cameron gave a small shrug and returned her gaze to Timmy, who was still clinging on to the branch, which she detected, was on the verge of breaking. John followed her gaze and saw the cat up there; he glanced back at Cameron, seeing the cold indifference in her features and felt a little sick.

"Are you just gonna let him fall or are you going to go up there and save him?"

"I couldn't help him even if I wanted to; the branches won't support my weight."

"Then I'll go get him."

John made towards the tree but Cameron caught his arm, her face set in stone.

"I can't let you do that."

John stared back at her incredulously, hearing the cat pleading above them, calling for help. Cameron stared back at him blankly, her hand still clamped around his upper arm.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because he got himself up there, he can get himself down again. He has to do this on his own."

"And what if he can't? What if he falls?"

Cameron ignored his question and looked up at Timmy, who had started to make hesitant attempts to move further up the branch, his every movement decreasing the branch's integrity. John continued to stare at her in disbelief, wondering how she could be so careless with the poor cat. He tried to break free from her grip but she only tightened her fingers, causing a sharp pain to flash through his arm.

"Let go! Let go! I told you to let go!"

"Look!"

Despite him self, John followed her command and looked up at the tree in time to see the branch snap and fall free. His heart almost stopped as Timmy hurtled towards the ground but managed to land on another branch, once again scrambling for purchase. The fallen branch landed at the base of the tree and Cameron finally let go of John as she approached the trunk and craned her neck to see Timmy slowly losing his grip on the other branch.

Cameron watched closely as Timmy tried and failed to get a better grip on the branch, ignoring John as he dithered around the tree, looking for a good place to start climbing. Frustrated, John grabbed Cameron's shoulder and shook her to his attention.

"Hey! Enough of your sick survival games! He's only a cat, okay! Help me get him down!"

Cameron tilted her head to one side and her eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Would you do the same for me?"

John suddenly felt dumbstruck; her question made no sense at first, but then his brain caught up and he realised what she was asking. Before he could answer, however, a piercing cry came from the tree and he looked up in time to see Timmy in free fall. John prepared himself for the sickening sight of the cat colliding with the ground, but he was surprised instead to see Cameron duck under the tree and catch him mid-fall.

Cameron held him close and the cat dug his claws into her jacket, his fur on edge and shaking all over. He gave a few appreciative meows as Cameron gently stroked his back and held him securely as Sarah had taught her. John was at a loss for words, or thoughts for that matter. She nestled her cheek against Timmy's, and John had to wonder whether she was simply copying something she saw on television or if her affections were genuine. He couldn't decide which, and Cameron strode past him without another word, the cat safe in her arms.

--

2027

Resistance Depot II (General Connor's Quarters)

Jason strode down the corridor, his hand tapping the grip of his sidearm absent-mindedly. It had been four hours since Connor's return from a big victory against Skynet; another factory decommissioned and a large supply of weapons and equipment salvaged. He had yet to hear of John's death and couldn't help but wonder whether Cameron had been found out. He approached John's door and saluted the guard, who responded likewise.

"I need to speak with the General, it's important."

"Sorry, sir, he's not here at the moment."

"Where is he?"

"I wasn't informed of his whereabouts, sir."

Jason let out a sigh and had to quell the urge to snap this useless soldier's neck.

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

"No, sir, but Phillips might."

Jason frowned at the guard and glanced at the heavy door.

"She's in there?"

"Yes, sir, I can call her out if you want."

"Yeah, good, you do that."

The guard approached the comm. and pressed the speaker button.

"Lieutenant? Lt. Corvain wishes to speak with you, ma'am."

"_Oh, now's not the best time."_

The guard looked back at Jason who stared back with a demanding gaze.

"Tell her it can't wait."

The guard turned back to the comm. and pressed the button again.

"He say's its urgent, ma'am."

There was a brief pause of static before she replied.

"_Alright then, send him in."_

The guard turned the lever on the door, unlocking it and heaving it open enough for Jason to squeeze through.

"Thank you."

Jason crept inside, closing the door behind him before adjusting his eyes to the dim lighting of Connor's room. It wasn't as grand as he'd expected, in fact it was hardly any different to his own quarters, only bigger. He looked around, spotting John's bunk and took note of the rumpled sheets, detecting a large heat bloom where two people had recently slept. Movement in the corner of his eye drew Jason's attention to a small side room, from which Cameron emerged, partially covered by a sheet.

She stopped at the sight of him, apparently surprised that he was there, which struck Jason as odd, but then his attention was somewhat divided at the sight of her half-concealed body. Cameron pulled the sheet closer to her and Jason looked at the floor, his hands behind his back.

"Sorry, if I'd known…"

"…you would've knocked first?"

Jason nodded and shuffled slightly on the spot. Cameron gave the door a withering look and placed a hand on her back, hitching up the receding sheet before it revealed more than she felt comfortable showing.

"I've told that guard to wait five minutes before letting anyone in, the idea being that I could avoid awkward situations like this."

Jason smirked and took a few steps back towards the door, his eyes glued to the floor.

"I can leave and come back in a minute or two."

Cameron seemed to seriously consider his offer, but approached the bed and sat her self down instead.

"No, you're here now, you might as well stay."

Jason looked up at her and took a few steps forward, but not enough to make her more uncomfortable. Cameron raised a hand and brushed a thick lock of hair out of her face, awkwardly trying to ignore their current predicament.

"So, err, you needed to see me?"

"Err, yes, umm, I need to talk with John. The guard says he's A.W.O.L. so I was hoping you might know where to find him."

"Oh, right, umm, he's gone to the briefing room. He's meeting the others about our next strike."

Jason nodded slowly; he knew that he would never gain access to the briefing room. His rank alone was not sufficient to grant him access; John was safe… for now.

"I see."

Cameron smiled nervously, consciously keeping the sheet in place. She wasn't suspicious of Jason's motives for coming to her, and he certainly looked as uncomfortable as she felt. Not that he was to be blamed for this; she really needed to have a word with that guard about letting people in when she wasn't decent.

"Was there something else?"

Jason seemed divided in his movement for a moment before deciding to lean against the wall and cross his arms together.

"Yeah, I wanted to know how things were going. With the headaches, I mean."

"Oh, I had another one when John came back. But I haven't had any since. Not even when we…"

Her eyes glazed over and a small smile crept on her lips for a short moment before she caught herself and blushed. Jason couldn't help but smirk and nodded to himself.

"When you discussed the mission?"

Cameron gave him a sly smile, her cheeks flushing bright pink.

"Yeah… that's right."

"Is there any particular detail that sticks out?"

Cameron tilted her head and gave him a mocking smile.

"Strictly need to know, lieutenant."

Jason chuckled and ceased his leaning and walked the length of the bunk, regarding her with a sideways look.

"Say no more. Whatever you two 'talked' about has certainly brightened your day. Who am I to poke and pry?"

"That's funny; you're usually the first, after John of course. No one else shows an interest in my well-being. Why is that, I wonder?"

Jason looked her up and down, marvelling at her beauty. Her smooth legs and small feet, the same for her arms and hands, and it took him a minute to remember that she wasn't the Cameron he terminated in that tunnel. She was gone, her body incinerated, all that remained was the machine that sat just five feet away from him, carefully trying to retain her modesty beneath the sheet.

"No reason that I can see."

Cameron's discomfort increased, and she shifted awkwardly, making Jason look back down at the floor respectfully. He slowly backed towards the door and turned around to open it but paused and looked over his shoulder at her. Cameron gave him a small smile which he returned.

"I'll give you some peace and quiet then. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you."

Jason wrenched the door open and stepped outside, closing it behind him and ignored the saluting guard as he set off at a fast pace, his mind racing. Aside from suffering a momentary attraction to a machine, one other thing bothered him greatly. Why hadn't she reverted already? Something was wrong. The plan was flawed, defeated by an unforeseeable glitch. He would have to try a more direct approach.

Jason drew up the depot's layout in his peripheral and followed the route to the briefing room.

--

Present

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

John punched his pillow for the sixth time since waking, but it made little difference, so he gave up and sat up. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, John stretched his legs, feeling his joints click in protest. His body demanded sleep, but his mind wanted to stay awake, and it was the brain that called the shots. He got to his feet and staggered out of his room, creeping downstairs to the bathroom with the goal of pinching some of Sarah's sleeping tablets.

He entered the bathroom and switched on the light, noticing that the shower blind was steamed up, probably from recent use. John approached the sink and opened the drugs cabinet, retrieving a few pills before closing the mirrored door. He grabbed a nearby glass and filled it with water, the tap taking an unusual amount of time to spurt its contents. As he twisted the tap back and forth, trying to get a response, John remained oblivious as Cameron slid open the blind and stepped out of the shower.

She casually reached for a towel and began drying herself, watching John struggle with the tap and recording the varied and colourful insults that he was spewing forth. After a moment, she decided to help him with his struggles.

"Try kicking the pipe."

John jumped out of his skin and looked up, seeing her naked form reflected in the cabinet mirror. He became momentarily transfixed at the sight before coming to his senses and slamming his eyes shut. Cameron frowned at his behaviour and tilted her head in curiosity.

"What's wrong?"

John could've laughed at the question had she not asked it in such seriousness.

"Oh, I don't know, Cameron. Let's see, umm, maybe it has something to do with the fact that you're not wearing any clothes."

Cameron looked down at her body, her confusion steadily increasing.

"You've seen me naked before."

"Yeah, well that was different."

"How so?"

This time John really did laugh, but more as a result of the manic chaos going through his mind, he had no expected this when he woke up.

"Well, first off; my Mom was there and so were a dozen other people. And I guess that served as a distraction."

"Oh, so… the presence of another naked woman divides your attention."

It took him a moment to fully register what she'd said before he gave an internal shudder at the memory of his own mother on that highway. All thoughts of sleep were driven from his mind, all John wanted to do was get back to the safe confines of his room and get as far away from Cameron as possible. The problem was that she was between him and the door and he hadn't a hope in hell of getting past her with his eyes closed, so he swallowed his own squeamishness and opened his eyes slowly.

He could see her reflected in the mirror, a look of innocent curiosity on her face, and he used every ounce of will he possessed to keep from letting his eyes wonder downwards. Cameron continued to watch him for a moment before returning her focus to drying herself with the towel. As she did this, John booted the pipe and filled his glass with enough water to down the two sleeping pills, desperately hoping that they'd help him sleep after this encounter, though he doubted it.

A few minutes of awkward silenced passed as Cameron started to dry her hair, once again watching John, who was now staring at the basin as if it were a fascinating find. She failed to understand his shyness, having spotted him stealing glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She'd long suspected John of harbouring romantic feelings towards her, in fact she had used this knowledge to trick him in the past, but his behaviour now was inconsistent with his previous actions. She folded the towel in half before placing it on the hanger, and took a few steps closer to him, her need to know "why" proving too overwhelming for her programming to contain.

"Why won't you look at me? Am I displeasing?"

John frowned at the basin, his hands gripping both sides as hard as he could.

"What?"

"I thought males were attracted to a female body."

John closed his eyes again and gripped the sink even harder, wishing that the pills would help him escape this predicament and knock him unconscious. This was the last conversation he'd ever want to have with Cameron, but he seemed doomed to comply with her demands.

"We are, I mean, I am. But it's just… Some guys just don't like to… It's not the most practical way for a guy to see a girl like… that."

Cameron considered his answer carefully and drew up a dozen different scenarios wherein a male might see a female without any clothes.

"So… comfort of exposure depends upon scenario and circumstance."

_Typical Cameron_, he thought, _always boils it down to logic and technicalities_.

"Yes, precisely, and as you've no doubt guessed; this isn't an appropriate circumstance."

"Isn't it?"

"No, it isn't. And what were you doing anyway?"

Cameron frowned slightly at him and tipped her head to her right.

"I was taking a shower."

"In the dark?"

"I was using night vision."

John snorted and stared into the blackness of the sink hole, desperately hoping that he might somehow disappear down it. Cameron took another few stealthy steps towards him, her bare feet not making a single sound on the tiled floor. She was barely a few inches away from him, hoping that her proximity might produce a revealing reaction from him, one that will make her understand his curious demeanour. John became uncomfortably aware of her closeness and felt a shiver run down his spine as her warmth touched him.

Cameron peered around his shoulder, trying to get a look at his face, but he turned to his left and stared at the wall instead, slowly side-stepping towards the door. Though she rarely felt anything resembling emotion, no anger, no joy, no fear, there was the rare moment when something would flicker inside her and she would feel something. This was one such moment, and what she felt was something akin to amusement. She found it intriguing and decided, for better or worse, to explore the feeling by blocking John's progress.

He immediately turned his head to the right but Cameron stepped around him and appeared on that side too, causing him to once again face his left, only to find Cameron in his sight a second later. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, banging his head against the wall and letting out a small growl of annoyance.

"What are you doing?"

"I want you to look at me."

"Why?"

Cameron paused for a second, unsure as to the reasons behind her own actions. Why did she want him to look at her? She couldn't find a logical explanation, except that his looking at her might produce some resolution as to his strange behaviour. She didn't know it, but John was more than just a little uncomfortable. On top of everything else, his long-buried feelings for the Cameron he knew were starting to rise to the surface, mocking him with the memories of a Cameron who once experienced humanity.

"Look at me."

He continued to ignore her, determined not to stoke the fire by allowing himself to see her in that way… not again.

"Look at me."

She was becoming more insistent, almost commanding, but her face wasn't as blank as he'd expected.

"Look at me."

_If I just refuse to acknowledge her presence, she'll give up and let me leave, she must know a lost cause when she sees one_, he assured himself. But Cameron was determined and grasped his arm with her steely fingers, still wet from the shower.

"Look at me!"

When John refused this time she spun him around and, despite his resolve, he let himself see her without restraint. By then it was too late, he had no will left to summon, and he was trapped by her beauty. She was, for lack of a better word, perfect. He took a deep breath as her figure became hard-burned into his memory, another splinter to torment his waking hours. And then it truly hit him with full weight: what he saw before him was a scornful reminder of everything that could've been, in the flesh. If Cameron had never wiped her memory, if she'd kept those human thoughts and feelings, even if they weren't technically hers, they could've been so much more.

But now they were doomed to be strangers, kept at arms length by her mechanical nature and hollow heart. She was a machine, through and through, and she could never feel the way he felt for her, she could never experience the same sense of longing and loneliness that he suffered day-by-day. She was empty, despite what those eyes of hers might say. John barged past her and stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Cameron perplexed; that was not the reaction she had expected, and it made no sense whatsoever. She stood rooted to the spot for a moment before reaching out for the towel and wrapping it around her body in shame.

--

2027

Resistance Depot II (Briefing Room exterior)

The door opened with a rusty creak and several high-ranking officials started milling out, some whispering to another, others just silent and solitary. The only one that proved worthy of Jason's attention was the last to leave, accompanied by two armed guards, both with plasma rifles. The chances of survival were slim at best, but Jason didn't care, so long as he completed his mission. And death was never much of a predicament for I-950s, as they were capable of transferring their consciousnesses into their implants, and therefore could be saved by Skynet and transferred into an endoskeleton. Jason's eyes briefly flashed violet as he confirmed John's identity with visual records from Century Work Camp, and he took after him, discreetly unclipping his side-arm as he neared.

He was so close, so close to everything he was born for, his purpose; that burning desire to be the one to end the Resistance with a single marvellous stroke. Being so near to his lifelong goal, Jason was actually grateful that Cameron had not reverted yet. Terminating John himself would be all the more enjoyable, not to mention rewarding when and if he returned to Skynet. Jason pulled his gun from its holster and flicked back the hammer, ready to put a bullet clean through his head.

"Jason?"

There was a time when hearing Cameron's voice was soothing, but now it just felt like a jagged spanner in the works of his perfectly planned assassination attempt. He half-considered just ignoring her, but he knew that this would only further jeopardize his already faulty mission, so he holstered his weapon and turned around to face her. She seemed rather distressed, despite being fully clothed this time, and stopped a few steps short of him.

"Jason, I need to talk to you."

Jason peered over his shoulder to see John about to turn a corner and felt his hand twitch towards his gun once again.

"Cameron, this isn't the best time."

"Please! Please, I… I need your help."

Jason gave another glance over his shoulder, but John was already gone. His hand, which had been twitching earlier, was now visibly shaking and he had to clench his fist against it. He turned back to Cameron and let out an annoyed sigh, softening slightly at the disparity on her features.

"Alright, what is it that you need?"

Cameron smiled gratefully and took his hand.

"Come with me."

Intrigued despite himself, Jason allowed her to lead him to an unused storage room and was showed inside before she closed the door behind her, plunging them in semi-darkness. Even in this low light, he could see her perfectly, and was surprised when her face, which had been bright and cheery one moment, had suddenly become dark and malicious the next.

"Cameron, wha-?"

Before he could finish, however, Cameron had drawn a knife from her belt and pressed the blade against his neck. A stream of alarms screamed in his head, but she did not slit his throat, nor did she make any attempt to decapitate him. She just held him at her mercy, a fierce fire in her eyes.

"Cameron… what are you doing?"

"What did you do?"

Her face was contorted in fear and rage, her entire body was shaking and the knife dug into his skin.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Cameron. Please, just put the knife down and explain."

"The tunnel!"

"The tunnel? What are you-?"

Cameron pressed the knife forward and Jason let out a gasp as it bit deeper into his neck, drawing a thin line of blood.

"The tunnel, Jason, the collapsed section where I woke up, remember?"

"Yes, I remember, what does that have to do with me? Why are you doing this?"

Cameron leaned forward, her face inches from his.

"I remember… you. You did something to me! You did something and then you made me forget!"

"Cameron, that's crazy, how can you possibly-?"

"You lured me there and then you chased me through the tunnels!"

Jason's mind worked quickly to make sense of what he was hearing. Cameron was recalling her own death, which should be impossible as that particular memory was scrubbed before her reinsertion. Yet here she was, reciting the incident with a knife at his throat, ready to spill him a new one. Jason calmed himself and took a deep breath. _She may not remember everything_, he told himself.

"Cameron, I have no idea what you're talking about. Why would I lure you there? Why would I chase you? Cameron, come on, think!"

She bared her teeth and glared at him with such intensity that made him grateful that she was not installed with laser eyes.

"I… have… thought… You wanted me… You wanted to… Did you? Did you do that to me? Tell me!"

Cameron removed the knife from his throat and slashed him across the chest with it instead. Jason cried out and clutched his wound as she raised the knife for a killing blow. It became apparent to him that she, in her gapped recollection, had come to the conclusion that he had violated her in some way. His previous flirtations were working against him now, only adding fuel to the fire. But at least that allowed him a small chance to talk her down. A very small chance.

"Cameron, please, please! Don't do this, I'm begging you!"

Cameron hesitated, her hand shaking as tears ran down her face.

"I begged you to stop… and you didn't! Why should I be any different?"

She drew the knife back, ready to drive it through his skull, but fate intervened and she suddenly gave a cry of pain, dropping the knife and clutching her head. Knowing that he wouldn't get a second chance, Jason pinned her against the wall and quickly established a wireless link with her neural net, which responded to his call. Then it happened, the most rapturous feeling that any I-950 would ever experience: Skynet merged with Jason, becoming one with his neural net before following the link to Cameron's CPU.

"No! No! Jason, please! Don't!"

Cameron shuddered, her eyes wide with utter terror as Skynet fixed the glitch and restored her machine dominance directly. Her face, still stained with tears, slowly became blank and all the rage and horror that she had displayed previously was now gone. Jason leaned against the wall, exhausted from the merge and the struggle, watching as Cameron became her true self. The human was dead; she had been for many days now. The machine was just a replacement, an echo, a shadow image who possessed memories and feelings derived from the actual. This, the machine, was the Cameron he knew.

"It is done."

Skynet spoke through her, using an un-calibrated voice, before leaving her mind and returning to its core processor in the heart of Los Angeles. Cameron remained blank and Jason stared at her for a long moment before kneeling down and retrieving the knife. As he stood up, the storage room door flew open, revealing four armed soldiers and John Connor himself. John took in the sight before him with disbelief; Cameron cowering against the wall whilst Jason held a knife in his hands.

Jason couldn't imagine a worse scenario, but before he could hurl the knife into John's throat, Cameron shot from the room and into his arms, crying hysterically. John held her close and whispered words of comfort into her ear, all the while glaring at Jason with a murderous rage. He turned to the General at his side, who was glowering at Jason with traitor-hater contempt.

"General Mazaki, take him to the cells!"

"Yes, sir, move him out!

The soldiers grabbed Jason and slammed him against the wall, cuffing his hands and dragging him out of the room. As they led him away, Jason glanced back at Cameron, who was still sobbing into John's shoulder, planting kisses on his neck and shaking all over. Something wasn't right. Cameron should be fixed now, but she seemed not to be. Jason was confused, dumbfounded, nothing made sense, and as the soldiers and Mazaki marched him off to the cells, Jason knew that his mission had just taken a turn for the worst.

--

Present

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

Cameron reached out for the door handle but hesitated, momentarily weighing the pros against the cons in regards to her intentions. Cameron checked her self over, satisfied that the bathrobe was adequately covering her body. Timmy appeared and rubbed up against her legs, purring contentedly, but she gently pushed him aside before opening the door and tip-toeing inside, closing the door behind her. John was lying on his bed, apparently asleep, and Cameron slowly approached, careful not to disturb him. She kneeled beside the bed and watched him closely as he slept.

She had done something to him. Something she couldn't recall, and it was torturing him. His behaviour downstairs spoke of deep torment inside of him, and she wanted to understand what that was. What had she done to deserve his ire? Why was the sight of her so painful for him? Did he truly care for her the way she suspected? Did she feel the same for him? She couldn't answer the last one, but a part of her knew that she would one day be able to.

Cameron had always felt the need to protect John. It was originally because of her programming, but since the Jeep explosion, those directives had been wiped forever. The only thing that kept her from falling back onto her Skynet programming was a safety net override installed by John himself, the John she knew in the future. So she couldn't kill him, but neither was she obligated to protect him, yet she did so anyway. It was her choice. Choice; something no machine had possessed before.

What was it about this boy that made him so special? She didn't know. She only knew that he'd one day lead the Resistance to victory against her creator. That was his purpose, his mission, his destiny. Hers was to keep him safe at all costs, and she would, she swore to that. Cameron tentatively reached out and pushed a strand of hair out of his face, seeing the scar on his cheek, a scar she recognised from his future self. It was almost healed, but the mark would remain, and this didn't bother her in the least.

She had read that sometimes people can hear things in their sleep and remember them when they awake. John would not listen to anything she told him if he was conscious enough to argue, so she knew this would be the only way for her to talk to him.

"John? I… I'm sorry for what I've done to you. I can't remember what that was, but it must have been bad, and I'm sorry. I don't know what… I just want to keep you safe, John. And I will, I promise. You're my reason… my purpose for being… I need you, John."

He didn't stir in the slightest, he just remained lost to his dreams, and Cameron hoped that he had heard her. She continued to watch him for several long moments before getting to her feet and leaving, giving him one last glance before closing the door and going about her nocturnal duties. Little did she know that moments after she left, John opened his eyes, tears brimming and spilling down his cheeks.

--

2027

Resistance Depot II (Holding Cell B)

Jason sat on the cold floor of the cell, eyeing the four guards whose weapons were trained on him, ready to blow his head off at General Mazaki's word. But the General just continued to glare at him, occasionally pacing back and forth, anxiously awaiting John's return so that a sentence could be passed. Jason watched the General closely, wary of his volatility, Mazaki was not one to forgive traitors and was more than a little famous for routing out infiltrators. Mazaki stopped his pacing and glared at Jason with narrowed eyes.

"So… you have anything to say for yourself?"

Jason leaned against the wall and gave the General a mocking smile.

"Oh, you know General, locked away in these stinking sewers for so long… Are you surprised I haven't snapped before now?"

Mazaki grunted and resumed his pacing, not taking his eyes off Jason for one second.

"You got any ideas for your defence? Not that I care. Traitors and rapists all belong in the same shit-pile."

"I'm gonna plead insanity. And I never laid a finger on her, not like that."

Jason held up his hand and smiled.

"Scout's honour."

Mazaki grunted once more and froze in his tracks, hearing the scraping of metal as the heavy door opened, revealing John and a frightened Cameron. John stepped inside the spacious cell and glared at Jason with pure disgust before turning to the General.

"Has he told you anything?"

"Yes, sir, but most of it is bull, sir. He claims to have never touched Lieutenant Phillips."

John looked back at Cameron, who was leaning against the door frame, visibly shaking. He offered her his hand and she slowly reached for it and stepped inside, joining John's side. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and a comforting smile before turning back to Jason.

"Cameron told me everything. What you did, what you tried to do, and now you're going to discover what happens to men like you."

John nodded to Mazaki and the General responded by taking a step back.

"Weapons armed, men."

All four soldiers powered up their rifles and Jason prepared for the end, unafraid of the twilight of compartmentalization as he started the process of transferring his consciousness into his implants. But before anyone could fire, Cameron suddenly stood in the line of fire, shielding him from harm. John was incredulous and made to grasp her hand but she recoiled.

"Cameron, what are you doing? Step aside."

"No. I'm not required to follow your orders, Connor."

Jason slowly rose to his feet, sensing the changing tide and chuckled as fortune turned in his favour for once. John shook his head slowly in disbelief as Cameron's face became completely blank and she took her place next to Jason.

"Cameron?"

John's voice was desperate and pleading, little more than a whisper, but she continued to stare at him blankly as she scanned him closely.

_Target Identified: John Connor_

_Mission: Terminate _

Her eyes flashed blue and the soldiers and General Mazaki took a collective step backwards, except for John, who remained rooted to the spot. Jason smiled smugly at the distraught "saviour" and gave Cameron an affectionate nudge with his elbow, earning him a blank look with a slight frown. He burst into laughter, the soldiers looking from one another, awaiting their orders. Jason activated his claws, extending them from his fingertips to full length. Mazaki regarded the blades with wide eyes, but John paid them no attention, his eyes still locked on his beloved Cameron. Jason flexed his fingers and whispered into Cameron's ear.

"The board is set, let us make the first move."

A small smile crept on her lips as she clenched her fists and locked eyes with her former lover, no longer caring about the tears in his eyes.

"We always do."

--

Present

A library basement in San Fernando

The sound of plasma fire and dying men filled his mind as the memory replayed itself against his will, the result of a glitch triggered by the foreign material's mergence with his implants. He remembered seeing blood splatter the walls as two guards fell to his blades, whilst the other two were likewise crushed beneath Cameron's fists. Then there was a lot of shouting and an electrical blast, Cameron fell motionless on the floor and a voice, Skynet's voice, told him to flee. He remembered hurling Mazaki aside as he bolted for the door and then proceeded down the corridor, escaping through the nearest exit and later being saved by a passing HK-Aerial.

The memory came to a halt and faded into nothingness, replacing the still image with pure darkness. Jason's heads-up display flickered erratically before temporarily fading out for a moment, then it came back online, only with a crimson hue as opposed to the usual violet that he'd possessed from birth. Words appeared in his peripheral, bringing hope to Jason despite his predicament.

_Status: Upgrades complete_

_Attention: Neural Integrity restored_

Jason would have let out a sigh of relief, were he not still encased in a cocoon of metal. As if it read his mind, the metal slid away from his face and travelled down to his chest, taking the form and feel of his clothes. He looked down at himself, the chrome clothing fading into their natural colours. He raised a hand and flexed his fingers, feeling the ultra-thin layer that covered every part of his anatomy, acting as a second skin. A quick check of his systems alerted him to the poly-alloy's positivity. She had called it a gift… and Sophie was right.

"A gift."

Jason made the mimetic alloy on his hand return to its metallic hue, and found himself laughing, quietly at first but steadily progressing to a manic roar of triumph. He lay there, enjoying the multitude of plots and possibilities brewing in his fully restored mind, but one stood above the others. She would be the focus of his attention; she would be his way to John.

Cameron would stand with him once again, and hand in hand, they would take down John Connor.

_To be continued…_


	4. Mine Alone

**Chapter 04: Mine Alone**

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

Aspirin; to relieve stress and cranial throbbing, take two tablets and swallow with a glass of water. Do not mix with alcohol.

Sarah considered the last part carefully, weighing the costs of ignoring the packaging's advice against the thought of her lying drugged-out on the couch. The choice was obvious, and Sarah put the bottle back into the cupboard before pouring herself a glass of water and downing the pills with a slight shudder. It was late, and today had been a day she'd rather not remember. Marty had been on the war path once again, his rebellious phase in full swing as he ran havoc around the house, refusing to behave himself.

Sarah sighed at her failure to understand how such a well-behaved little boy could become such an obnoxious brat so quickly. _A phase_, she reminded herself. _John went through it too, though I wasn't around to deal with that, not the worse parts anyway_. That was left to the foster parents he'd shacked up with during those grey years of her imprisonment at Pescadero. Sarah closed her eyes and could almost feel the pills starting to work their magic.

The house was mercifully quiet now, with Marty fast asleep and Derek busy cleaning his weapons. A quick glance into the lounge revealed Cameron sitting alone with the cat for company. But none of the above mattered to her more than John, who'd spent pretty much the entire week locked in his room, refusing to come out or speak with anybody. Sarah knew it had something to do with the Tin Can, but was too distracted by Marty's antics to dedicate a free moment to interrogating her on the subject.

_Better use my one chance while I still have it_, she reasoned as she ambled into the lounge, receiving a brief look of acknowledgement from Cameron. The machine was watching a nature programme on the television, which focused on the Chameleon, an infamous lizard capable of blending with its environment. Sarah had no idea why Cameron would bother watching this bore; surely she had everything about anything archived in that library brain of hers.

Yet here she was, staring intensively at the screen, stroking the cat absent-mindedly, or at least; as absent-minded as a machine could get. Sarah cleared her throat audibly and Cameron, getting the message, tore her eyes away from the screen to look up at her expectantly.

"We need to talk."

"About John?"

"Precisely."

Cameron remained as blank as ever, indifferent to Sarah's obvious annoyance and underlying anger.

"Did you know that the Chameleon can change its color in response to light exposure and ambient temperature, as well as to express its mood?"

Sarah circled the couch and stood between Cameron and the TV, blocking the machine's view. Cameron simply regarded Sarah with slightly narrowed eyes, patiently awaiting the argument that was inevitably coming her way. Sarah crossed her arms and took a moment to decide how to better approach the subject, eventually settling on simple candour.

"John hasn't taken a single step outside his room for near five days now. I assume you know why?"

Cameron realised that she wasn't going to be able to avoid this conversation, and so resigned herself to answering Sarah's question.

"I upset him."

Sarah's eyes flashed and her jaw clenched; _so it is her fault_, she thought.

"And how did you do that exactly?"

Cameron tilted her head up a little, meeting Sarah's gaze without flinching.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? How can you not know?"

"There are gaps in my memory, from when I deleted my progenitor's imprint. Things have… blurred together. I did something to him."

Sarah nodded to herself, fighting the urge to drag the robot to the nearest scrap yard. Cameron looked away, staring at the floor for a brief moment before returning her notice to Timmy, who was gently pawing at her shirt for attention. Sarah watched her stroke the cat and tickle his belly, a small smile on her lips as he purred contentedly. Without warning, Sarah grabbed the cat and placed him on the floor. Affronted, Timmy ran off into the dining room with an angry hiss, leaving a dejected Cameron alone with a thoroughly annoyed Sarah.

"So you have no idea why he'd suddenly lock himself in his room all week?"

Cameron stood up and took a step towards Sarah, whether to appear intimidating Sarah didn't know, but it was somewhat unnerving.

"We had a… falling out."

"A falling out… Over what?"

Cameron shifted to her left, regarding Sarah with a side-on look of blank determination.

"I respect his privacy too much to openly discuss it with others."

Cameron made it clear that this was her final word and turned to leave, but Sarah, wanting answers, grasped Cameron's arm.

"Don't you turn your back on me! You are going to tell me what the hell is going on between you and my son, or so help me God, I will-"

"What? What will you do?"

Sarah hadn't expected an interruption, nor did she expect Cameron to take such an aggressive posture all of a sudden. The machine's face spoke of anger buried deep within that endo-skull of hers, a genuine anger that only a human could possess. Sarah suddenly found herself in a difficult situation, and became all the more aware that she was threatening a potentially volatile killing machine. Sarah let go of Cameron's arm and opted instead to give her an intense glare.

"Tell me what you did to him, now!"

"Tell you what she did to whom?"

Sarah spun around to see John standing there, leaning against the door frame with a slightly amused grin on his face. Neither she nor Cameron had noticed him creep down the stairs. Sarah looked her son up and down and was surprised at what she saw. She had expected him to be a complete and utter mess, but instead he was well-groomed; his hair recently combed, his skin perfectly clean, and even his clothes were rather swarthy.

Cameron scanned his appearance carefully and detected a noticeable difference in his overall demeanour. He seemed to be emanating a new-found confidence, and his choice in clothes differed to the carefree attire he usually wore. John had decided to cast aside his tatty jeans in favour of a black pair of higher quality. He wore a belt around his waist that had a chrome buckle, noticeable but not distractingly so. He had also adopted a dark short-sleeved shirt, which was open to reveal the black t-shirt he wore underneath. His trainers were also notably different and new. Where he had acquired this new attire, Cameron could only guess.

"What? I got something stuck on my face?"

Sarah snapped out of her momentary thought safari and glanced at Cameron, who was regarding John shamelessly, her mouth open and her eyes wider than normal. Sarah stepped in her line of sight and rounded on her son, unaware that Cameron was standing on tip-toe to see over her shoulder.

"So you finally stopped sulking and decided to emerge. It's about time, don't you think? I was starting to think you'd died up there."

John smirked sardonically and pushed himself off the frame, crossing his arms as he approached his mother, his eyes flickering to Cameron as she looked at him in wonder.

"You, go upstairs and put on something elegant."

Sarah frowned at her son and Cameron stepped around her with a confused expression.

"Why?"

John smiled again and looked her up and down before answering.

"Because I told you to."

Cameron tilted her head curiously for a second before slowly striding past, keeping her eyes on him as she approached the stairs and finally broke sight of him as she ascended. John watched her leave for a moment before brushing past Sarah and dropping onto the couch with a lazy sigh. Sarah crossed her arms and glared down at him, baffled by his sudden and apparent change in behaviour.

"You mind telling me why you just sent Cameron for a change of clothes?"

John stretched his arms out and placed them behind his head, that wily grin still on his face.

"I sent her to get changed because I'm going for a night out."

"Really? At this hour?"

"I'm not twelve, Mom; I _can_ venture out of the house and go out for a good time now and then."

Timmy skulked back into the room and hopped onto the couch, intrigued by a cologne that Sarah had yet to notice, and sniffed curiously at John's shirt. He stroked the cat behind his ears and paid no more attention to Sarah, who continued to eye John closely.

"Alright, but why take Cameron along?"

"You're always telling me to be on guard. Who better to watch my back than her?"

Sarah shook her head; the question she wanted answered burning its way through her throat.

"What's gotten into you, John? Four days locked inside your room, refusing to speak with any of us, and then all of a sudden you're out and about as if nothing has happened… Cameron told me that you two had a 'falling out', that she did something to you."

John kept his eyes on the cat, rebuffing his mother's attention as he tickled Timmy's stomach.

"Not really interested in talking about it, Mom. Just know that I needed some time to myself; to think things over."

"What things?"

"Everything… and nothing, just leave it be, okay?"

John finally looked up into her green eyes, the same shade as his, he realised.

"I don't need a 'talking to'; and I don't need your coddling. I'm fine."

John's words carried a finality to them that choked all other queries in Sarah's mind. He'd effectively closed himself to her and she knew that nothing she said now would make him open up any time soon, so she simply decided to let him be. But as she approached the stairs, one last question forced itself past her lips.

"What is going on between you and Cameron?"

This time John did acknowledge her presence and looked over the back of the couch at her, his face as blank as the machine's.

"Nothing that you need worry about, Mom; I'm not stupid, you know."

Sarah's last thought before starting the climb was: _You could've fooled me._

Though he couldn't read minds, John guessed as much from his mother and knew that he couldn't hide his predicament from her for much longer. She would discover his secret eventually, and nothing he could do would stop that. But he'd made his choice; he'd spent four days deciding on how best to handle his torment. A plan was ready and waiting, all it required was the subject in question, who appeared at his side moments later.

Cameron was wearing a purple top that glimmered at the slightest movement. She had chosen her silky dark skirt to accompany the top and was wearing a pair of small-heeled shoes. John also noticed that she had indulged in make-up, this being the first time since the move. Her eyelids carried a subtle silvery sheen that served only to bring out the brown in her eyes, and she had combed her hair to perfection; every strand identical to the other.

John took in the sight with a slow sigh, his eyes lingering on her slender legs and moving up to her exposed shoulders and petite arms, eventually settling on her face and her glossy lips. He stood up and gave her a sly smile, receiving a bemused look of misunderstanding in return. John always found her confusion to be cute, and right now she was just adorable as she eyed him closely, waiting for him to explain his intentions in further detail.

"We're going out, just you and me."

"Going out where?"

"Somewhere in the city, haven't decided where yet. I'll figure that out on the way there."

John held out his hand and she took it in hers, only hesitating for a second. John led her to the front door and then to the car, opening the passenger door for her, confusing Cameron further. He then hopped behind the wheel and started up the engine, pulling away from the house with as much speed as he could manage. The road was bumpy at the best of times, but at their current speed, the whole car was in a state of constant vibration until they joined onto the main road.

Cameron looked out of the window, counting the number of white lines that shot past whilst her thoughts drifted to John and whatever he had planned for their "night out". She couldn't quite figure out what he was hoping to achieve with this, but something about the way his behaviour had changed… it seemed somehow familiar, but she couldn't understand the how's and why's. She glanced at him, catching his eye and receiving another sly smile. _Yes_, she determined, _very irregular_.

"Are you testing me?"

John frowned slightly and gave her a brief look, surprised at her perception, which was not at all off the mark. In truth, he _was_ testing her, but not for the reasons that she might expect. He wasn't interested in her infiltration abilities or social blending skill; he just wanted to put her in a situation where she would be forced to expose her true self. He needed to know whether she was just a machine, or if whatever she deleted had survived the purging process. There was something special about her, something unique that she was keeping from him.

And he was determined to discover it.

--

Santa Monica (Entertainment District)

From the shadows of a nearby alley, Jason watched his prey with a small smile of satisfaction; the tracer had worked. Though he had been confident in his ability to kill John during his last attempt, Jason was not foolish enough to ignore the basic tenants of his training: always have a back up plan. As John and Derek entered the old gallery, Jason had snuck around them and planted a discreet tracking device on the underside of their car.

Linked to his newly repaired and upgraded neural net, Jason had followed the car to Santa Monica, and was more than a little surprised when the signal stopped moving outside a cinema. He narrowed his eyes at the couple, zooming in on them both, and took note of their fancy attire. John opened the door for Cameron and offered her his hand, helping her out of the car as if she were a normal girl. Jason studied John closely, detecting the boy's charisma, but also sensed a slight awkwardness in his applications. _Was he trying to impress?_

Jason fine-tuned his ears, cutting out all of the background noise and focusing on John's voice as he ordered and paid for two tickets. With both having gone inside, Jason crept out of the shadows and purposely elbowed a pedestrian. The man stopped in his tracks and squared up at Jason threateningly, grabbing the front of his jacket with both hands.

"You got a problem, boy?"

Jason just smiled and casually hurled the man into the alley, following up with a kick to the head, rendering him unconscious before stuffing him into a nearby dumpster. Jason flexed his fingers, that metallic clicking accompanying the action before sending a command to the poly-alloy, instructing it to take the shape and form of the unconscious individual. Jason's clothes turned to silver chrome as the alloy crawled up his neck and covered his entire head. Once his whole anatomy was enclosed, the metal took its shape, replicating the colour and texture of the man.

Jason examined his new face in a puddle on the floor, satisfied with the disguise he'd chosen. With one last glance at the dumpster, Jason set off with a smug smile and approached the lady at the counter, purchasing a single ticket to the same movie that John and Cameron were viewing. The screen wasn't hard to find; down corridor B and second on the right. Jason entered the gloomy space, filled with dozens of rows of chairs, each one identical and marked with a number.

Scanning the place row by row, Jason spotted the couple sat halfway up and centre, in aisle E. He made his way up the steps, careful not to appear conspicuous in case Cameron registered him as a threat. Jason went a little further up and proceeded down aisle H, taking a similar position in the middle. He sat down and regarded them closely for a minute before reaching into his jacket and grasping the gun tightly. But then he heard Cameron ask John a question, and despite himself, Jason paused to listen.

"I don't understand why you brought me here. Surely a more public and social location would be better."

"Here's assuming that's why I brought you in the first place. I'm not here to see you _act_ human, Cameron."

Jason leaned a little closer, vaguely aware of the dimming lights as the movie started up.

"But I thought… Why else would we come here?"

"Just… watch the movie, eat the popcorn, and enjoy yourself, okay?"

"Enjoy myself?"

"Yes, you know what that means, right?"

A man in the row directly in front of Jason suddenly leapt to his feet, his phone pressed to his ear as he bolted down the steps, yelling incoherently about "breaking waters". Jason returned his attention to John and Cameron, absent-mindedly claiming the man's uneaten popcorn.

"-just a machine, I have never enjoyed anything before."

"You're more than that, remember. Just sit back and watch the film, then when it's finished you can tell me how you _felt_ about it."

Jason could see Cameron open her mouth to reply, but John countered by grabbing a clump of popcorn and corking her with it, forcing her to chew the food with an expression of mild annoyance. The movie started, flooding the room with bright light and loud music, presenting the perfect moment to shoot John in the back of the head. But Jason felt compelled to wait, the sight of John and Cameron behaving like a quarrelling couple proving too intriguing to pass up. Assuring himself that he'd deal with it later, Jason leaned back into the chair and sampled the so-called "popcorn", finding it to be surprisingly likeable. _There seems to be a lot of surprises tonight_, he mused.

--

John felt like his chest might burst any second and had to cover his mouth to hide the beaming smile that threatened to split his face in half. He took a moment to try and control him self before glancing at her again, but it made little difference, as the sight of her sitting forward in her seat with wide eyes was just too hilarious to oppose. The movie was halfway through and he'd already seen enough from Cameron to know for sure that she was not all she claimed to be. She was so much more.

Cameron was, at first, unimpressed with the film he'd chosen, the ten to twenty minute premise failing to engage her interest. But when the explosions and action began, Cameron had tilted her head to one side and remained glued to the screen. Forty minutes in and the cacophony of violence and sheer destruction had her hooked, he'd even tried getting her attention a few times, but she either hadn't heard him over the explosions or was purposely ignoring him. He hoped for the latter.

The film he'd chosen was centred on a small group of soldiers trapped in a war-torn world where technology had become their undoing. John was fully aware of the irony of his choice, and as much as this depiction disturbed him, John knew it was worth it just to see some kind of reaction from Cameron. The soldiers strafed an attacking tank and grouped together behind a crashed helicopter, the squad leader giving instructions to the others on how to take out the tank.

John watched Cameron closely, his heart skipping a beat when she mimed the words of the youngest soldier: "I'm not leaving you!"

She leaned back in her seat, her lip giving a tiny quiver as the soldier was subsequently shot to pieces whilst defending his captain. John's eyes darted from the screen to her face, back and forth, checking for any other reactions. But she remained less engaged after the soldier's death and the last forty minutes passed without any kind of reaction from her, she remained stoic and he spotted her eyes wandering on occasion, and he wondered whether she was bored or in deep thought.

As the credits rolled and the overhead lights came back on, John reached over for the popcorn, finding that Cameron had hardly touched any of it, which came as little surprise. The mass of viewers slowly made their way down the steps and out of the room, but John and Cameron remained behind. John watched them go, spotting a bald guy in particular who gave him a direct look before leaving. John pushed this aside and turned to Cameron and was surprised to find her staring at him.

He momentarily became lost for words, but quickly regained his composure.

"So, err… What did you think?"

Cameron glanced at the screen briefly before answering.

"I counted six hundred and eighty-two parallels with the war humanity will have to face in the years to come. The character portrayals were accurate for the context and demeanour of desperate soldiers. The young one…"

She trailed off, looking away as she remembered the death of the loyal youth. John tapped on the arm rest, patiently awaiting her to continue.

"…he shared many qualities with someone I once knew."

John shifted in his seat and leaned closer to her, anxious for further elaboration.

"Who was that?"

Cameron looked him straight in the eye, and he saw for the first time, the tell-tale streak of a tear that had since dried on her cheek. Cameron got to her feet and stepped past him, their legs brushing together in the close quarters. John looked up at her, one hand on his jacket, the other still on the arm rest. Cameron stopped at the end of the row, waiting for him to follow suite. He remained seated for a long moment before getting to his feet and side-stepping through the row, his thoughts abuzz as to where to take her next as they left the screen and proceeded towards the car, unaware of the bald stranger following behind.

--

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

Sarah checked her watch for the sixteenth time since John and Cameron's departure, noting the time as 22:14pm, making them at least ten minutes overdue. Sarah let out a frustrated sigh; John knew the rules, he knew that they had a curfew for a good reason, yet still he ignored them. And what prompted him to decide to go on a "night out" anyway? Since when did he ever do that? And taking Cameron along, Sarah still wasn't sure what to make of that, especially seeing as they'd supposedly had a "falling out". Nothing made any sense.

The heavy thuds of a pair of boots alerted her to Derek's presence. He too, had been acting out of the ordinary, but she was less concerned about his welfare, so long as he doesn't suddenly go crazy and thinks he's back in the future. Sarah expected him to grab something from the fridge and leave, as was his custom nowadays, but he remained where he was instead.

"You're up later than usual."

An obvious remark, but that made the fact that he spoke all the more surprising to Sarah, who looked over her shoulder at him with a frown. Derek looked from her to the window she was standing by and took a step forward, peering around the kitchen for any signs of life.

"Doesn't the machine usually watch the house at night?"

"She does when she's here."

Derek's brow furrowed in confusion and he folded his arms.

"Where the hell is she then?"

"Out… with John."

Something discernable flickered across Derek's face and he stared at the floor with a dark look.

"Did he say where?"

"Not exactly, just into the city somewhere. I don't know where kids hang out these days."

Derek bit his lip and nodded to himself.

"I know where."

Without another word, Derek grabbed his jacket and made for the front door, stopping to collect the spare car keys.

"What are you gonna do?"

He looked back at Sarah, who was boring into him with her green eyes.

"Nothing, I'm just going to keep an eye on them, just in case."

Before she could say another word, Derek slipped through the door and jumped into the Dodge, pulling away from the house as fast as the vehicle would allow. The Dodge had better suspension than the small city car that John had appropriated, making the trip through the field less turbulent. Derek had no solid plan, just a simple need; he needed to keep John from doing something stupid with that machine.

There was no logical reason for him to suddenly come out of hiding and decide to take her for a "night out" on a whim. His nephew had a plan, and he feared what that might involve. Derek wasn't blind, he'd seen the way John looked at her, he could see what was happening, and he would be damned before he let his nephew try it on with a machine.

--

Santa Monica (Entertainment District)

Jason could've kicked himself for letting his curiosity get the better of him. John and Cameron disappeared inside the club, allowing Jason to creep out of another alley, his disguise having changed since the cinema. Kill Connor; that was the mission, yet he'd passed up the best opportunity in favour of watching Cameron watch the movie. Not that it wasn't interesting seeing her react the way she did, but it had cost him the element of anonymity.

Had he killed John in the dark surrounds of the movie theatre, he would've been able to escape with ease and avoided any public complications. Cameron might not have even spotted him, but now he would have to try something a little more open, then again; clubs were often crowded. Jason drew his attention from what may be to what is and approached the doorman, flashing a stolen 20 in his face as an unquestioned entry pass.

Once inside, Jason had to adjust his sight to compensate for the low-lit conditions, and upon spotting the mass of dancers coupled with the loud music, Jason couldn't help but let out an unheard exclamation of annoyance:

"Oh, c'mon! Give me a break you mean fu-"

--

John led Cameron over to a secluded and unoccupied table, the couch-like seats serving as a welcome change from the stiff chairs in the cinema, not that she minded either way. John sat back with a sigh of appreciation before taking a sip from his drink. Cameron sat somewhat awkwardly and didn't touch her drink, having failed to understand why he'd bought her one in the first place, especially after having reminded him that she wasn't thirsty.

Tonight had been the most erratic and otherwise senseless night of her entire existence. She had yet to figure out exactly what John was trying to achieve, and the more she tried to understand, the harder it became for her to fully comprehend. One moment she was convinced that he was trying to test her ability to appear human, and then the next; he'd want to see how she behaved as a machine. Everything was so confusing.

She looked over at him inquisitively, wondering whether or not he'd answer her if she asked him straight up. Cameron looked back at her drink and decided to go over what she'd seen so far: John was exposing her to social environments, presumably with the intent to test her infiltration abilities. This would make sense, except it didn't, because he had taken her to places that required little or no blending in whatsoever. _So_, she concluded, _either he is being very inefficient or his intentions are far more ambiguous_.

He had asked her to "enjoy" herself. Enjoyment was a human concept; something she possessed no knowledge of besides that which allows her to effectively mimic the associated emotions. She had never and will never enjoy anything, but even as she told herself this, Cameron unwontedly accessed her records, finding several instances of unexplained phenomena wherein she had felt something akin to enjoyment. Listening to Timmy purr as she tickled his stomach, the countless times she caught John looking at her and didn't know why, the rare moments when their skin brushed each others…

Small moments, few and far between, but no less significant; she liked to dance, she couldn't explain why, but she did. Cameron looked over at the dancing couples, failing to recognise the style they were practising, though the key theme appeared to be seduction. Then it all suddenly made sense, but at the same time it didn't. Turning to John, Cameron voiced the very question that her mind was trying to answer for herself.

"Are we on a date?"

John froze midway through taking a drink and choked on the stagnant cola. He fell into a coughing fit that lasted a good few seconds, during which Cameron gave him several hard slaps on the back. Once recovered, John cleared his throat and looked at her, his eyes streamed from the coughing.

"Uh, argh, umm, wh-… What?"

"Are we on a date?"

John considered the question carefully; by all accounts, that's what it seemed like, though in truth he had never thought of it like that. John had brought her out here for a specific purpose, not solely for fun, but he could see how easy it would be for an outsider to come to that conclusion. Were they on a date? Simply put: yes, they were, yet this was news to both of them.

"Err, yeah, I guess we are."

Cameron suddenly eased up, her shoulders relaxing and her face losing some of its seriousness, he could even swear he saw the faintest flicker of a smile.

"Oh, thank you for explaining."

And she was thankful, because now she had a handle on the situation, now she knew what to expect and what her place was in this whole scenario. She was John's date. Cameron, a machine once programmed to kill him, was on a social bonding event with John Connor. _But then_, she wondered, _why would John take me out on a date when he should be taking a human girl instead?_ That thought troubled her, as his actions from the past few hours started to take focus, presenting her with one conclusion:

_John thinks that I am a real girl._

_Illogical_, she told herself, _mannerisms and feminine programming aside; I am a machine, a genderless entity by my very nature. Correction: I am not a product of nature; I am the creation of technology. A cybernetic organism built for the sole purpose of infiltration and assassination. This is my most basic function, my core directive; I am a Terminator, it is in my nature to hunt down and… Correction: I have no nature. Error… Terminology confliction; I have a nature in the sense of my purpose. But if I can have a nature, then what else ca-_

"Hey, you alive in there or what?"

Cameron ceased her deathly stare at the drink and turned to John, who was watching her with mild scrutiny; _has he never seen me lost to thought_, she wondered. Cameron regarded him closely; once again going over everything she'd recorded and filed away for reference these past weeks, most specifically his moments of inexplicability. _John was very upset by my deletion of the human template's memories, though he never divulged as to why, what had happened between myself and him that I cannot recall_, she asked herself.

"Are you alright? Cameron?"

_Records show nothing that explains his actions, the reasons behind all of this, why he was testing her like this. What is it all for? What is he after? Why won't he tell me_? Her visual records failed at every turn, all memories of her and his interactions during the emergence was forever lost, and for a moment Cameron wondered if she would ever discover what happened. But then she was struck with a possible solution: _Accessing sensor nodes… Search recent physical interactions of rare occurrence… Search complete: results show unusual mouth-to-mouth interactions within the past four weeks._

"Cameron? I'm talking to you!"

_Analysing… interactions appear consistent with previously recorded contacts… Defining… Confirmed: action identified as a "Kiss"… Accessing… "Kiss": a form of physical contact involving the contact of two humans via the lips, one of many signs of romantic affection. _Cameron placed two fingers on her lips, wonder and fascination coursing through her features, her eyes locked on John, but not for the purpose of seeing him.

_John had kissed me. Or did I kiss him? Were we mutual in the act? Or was it one-sided? Why would he kiss me? Why would I kiss him?_ Cameron scoured her mind for answers, her sensor nodes informing her that each act was prolonged and that she gave no action to prevent them. She had allowed herself to be kissed, and may very well have kissed back, but with the little data she possessed, nothing was certain. And then, as if it were a carefully woven web, the strings and threads came into focus, showing her a highly complex pattern.

John was in love with her, and before she wiped her mind of prior humanity, apparently; she was in love with him.

So the only question that plagued her now that all others were silent was; did she love him still? Could she truly love him at all?

Love was another human concept and not one that any machine had experienced before, even Skynet was devoid of this emotion. Cameron carefully considered her thoughts on John, determining that her need to protect him was no longer justified by her programming as those directives were irreparably damaged in the car bomb so many months ago. It was by her own choice that she remained his protector. She could just as easily have killed him, or abandoned him, or destroyed herself. But she chose to protect him. She wanted to protect him.

Her entire life revolved around John Connor, whether she was programmed to preserve him or terminate him. He was her world, her purpose, her target. He was the centre of her attention and was all she thought about day by day. Keep John safe, eliminate all possible threats, and do not let him out of her sight. But her need to watch over him extended beyond the mission; many times she would stand at the end of his bed at night and watch him sleep for reasons she couldn't quite understand.

When he was sad, she tried to cheer him up. When he was angry, she tried to calm him down. When he was happy, she would feel content. When he smiled at her, she felt an unexplained tingling sensation. When he touched her, she warmed and recorded the feeling. No one affected her the way he did. Not Sarah, not Derek, not Marty, not even Timmy. Did she love John? She couldn't know, but she was determined to one day understand.

John stared right into those brown eyes of hers, trying in vain to see some glimpse of whatever was going on inside her artificial mind. It was a long time before she finally blinked, breaking the bridge between the green and brown of their eyes. Cameron lowered her hand and tilted her head slightly to one side, examining John with an expression unlike anything he had seen before. It was a complex mix of confusion, captivation, comprehension, calculation, and most unusually; adoration.

John suddenly felt very uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him and averted his gaze, shifting in his seat awkwardly. Cameron continued to stare at him for several agonising seconds before blinking once more and slipping back into her usual demeanour. Without warning, she stood up and strolled away from the table and into the masses of dancing couples. She stood amongst them for a moment, watching several in turn before falling into step and copying the girls' actions perfectly.

John watched, his jaw slowly dropping as she displayed her remarkable skill and beauty in the most angelic way possible. It was not long before a group of guys approached her, each one trying their utmost to gain her favour, but she turned her back on them all. But one wouldn't be deterred and kept getting in her space, causing the blood to rush into John's ears. With no thought of the consequences, or that the guy was a foot taller than him, John darted from his chair and rushed onto the floor, pushing the guy away from her.

"Hey! You startin' something, bro?"

The guy drew himself to full height, looking down at John as he were a small bug, ready to be squashed. John held his ground, however, and glared up at the aggressor.

"She's with me, you got that?"

The guy sneered at John and made to push him aside, but Cameron swept between them and skilfully shoved him away, causing the youth to fall hard on his backside. A gaggle of nearby girls cackled at the guy's misfortune, causing his face to redden with embarrassment, but he chose to salvage what was left of his dignity and leave without another word. Once he was out of sight, Cameron turned to John, a faint and slightly coy smile on her lips.

"Shouldn't I be protecting you?"

John scratched the back of his head awkwardly and gave her a self-conscious smile.

"Well, maybe I wasn't trying to protect you. Maybe I just wanted to kick his ass."

They stood awkwardly for a few moments as Cameron scanned a nearby couple, recording their embrace. She then closed the small gap between them and gracefully slid her arms around his neck, linking her hands behind him, mimicking a few of the surrounding couples. John hesitated for a moment before tentatively placing his hands on her hips, feeling her move slowly from side to side. He didn't know what to do next though, and racked his brains for an answer, coming across a faded memory that brought a smile to his face.

"What are you thinking about?"

Cameron was starting to sway more deliberately now, slowly developing a rhythm between them. John watched her movements beneath his hands and felt his entire body warm.

"We've done this before, you know, dancing. Do you remember?"

"No, I can't remember any of that. It's gone forever, John. All those memories I deleted; they can never be retrieved."

John looked down at the floor, that terrible truth hitting him hard again. Cameron tilted her head far to one side and leaned forward slightly, putting her self in the corner of his sight.

"I remember why I did it though."

John looked up and regarded her closely, the lump in his throat turning his voice hoarse.

"Why is that?"

Cameron gave him a small smile, her eyes glittering like stars.

"I did for you, John. I did it to protect you. I'd do anything to keep you safe."

John felt his eyes welling with tears and looked away, hoping she wouldn't notice, unaware that she already had. Cameron was utterly devoted to him. So much that she was willing to erase her own humanity for the sake of protecting him better. But her humanity, her love for him, it wasn't gone completely. He knew this without a doubt now, and was filled with new-found hope. It would only be a matter of time before she rediscovers her feelings for him. John placed a hand in her hair and stroked the side of her face affectionately before carefully drawing her close, a look of innocent anticipation on her beautiful features.

They were very close now, the inches of space between their lips gradually getting smaller as they moved with the music, lost in their own peaceful bubble. She was so close; he could feel her fabricated breath gently caressing his mouth as the intoxicating warmth of her body drew closer and closer, bridging the gap that had become so wide for so long.

--

Jason watched as Cameron snaked her arms around John's neck and started to move with the music, his hands resting on her hips. A small twinge of something inexplicable flashed through Jason's gut and his vision lost some of its focus as heat flared in his cheeks and ears. He moved as if in slow motion, like a panther on the prowl, drawing the pistol from his jacket pocket and sliding back the hammer. Jason closed out all background noise, allowing him to hear only the sound of John's breathing. He wanted to hear him die.

From within the crowded safety of the dancing masses, Jason took aim, everyone too engrossed in their own little worlds to notice the shining gleam of a fully loaded .45 Long-slide and the red laser dot that settled on the back of John's head. Everyone, except Cameron, who spotted the weapon mere seconds before her and John's lips met. Her eyes widened and she immediately spun John around as Jason squeezed the trigger, sending an incisive bullet straight into the side of Cameron's skull, stripping the flesh covering her CPU port.

In one perfectly smooth movement, Cameron forced John to the ground, shielding him with her body as she plucked the 9mm from within his jacket and brought it to bear on Jason. She fired once, twice, three times before Jason fell to the floor, apparently dead. A moment's silence, then total uproar as the crowd of patrons and employees swarmed towards the exits, stampeding each other in a desperate attempt to escape the scene.

Cameron slowly rose to her feet, John following suite. She kept a hand behind her, covering John's chest and keeping him safe behind her own body. Cameron scanned the assassin, detecting life signs, organic life signs. Jason twitched as the poly-alloy regenerated, sending the harmless bullets rolling across his chest and onto the floor. He rose to his feet, ordering the sheath to return to its default form and assuming his true face once again.

"It can't be!"

--

Derek looked from left to right, scanning the streets for any sign of the couple, spotting neither. He drove further down, passing several low-key clubs and cinemas, all of which John and Cameron might have entered and too many to search thoroughly. As he pulled a u-turn at the end of the street, however, Derek noticed several patrons flooding out of a club called Blue Faze and pulled up across the street, hearing the distinct sounds of gunfire. Retrieving his 9mm from the dashboard, Derek got out of the Dodge and prepared to enter the breach.

--

John stared wide-eyed and utterly dumbstruck as Jason smiled that familiar and narcissistic smile of his before quickly raising the Long-slide for another shot, but Cameron was faster and put four more bullets in him before he could squeeze off a single round. Jason once again dropped to the floor, but recovered much quicker this time, rising to his feet almost immediately. Before he could act, however, Cameron charged Jason and delivered a full palm strike to his chest, sending the Infiltrator hurtling across the room and over the bar.

She then grabbed John and dragged him to the nearby fire exit. Knowing what she was about to do, John fought against her and placed a foot against the wall to brace himself as she tried to force him through the door.

"No! I'm not leaving you, Cam! We can stop him together, you and me, c'mon! Let go!"

Cameron glanced over at the bar, detecting noises of broken glass over the screams and multiple foot beats; Jason was still conscious and she needed to get John to safety now. She quickly ran through a list of options, choosing the most effective, and pulled John into a deep and passionate kiss. Despite the danger and the impending chaos, John couldn't help but let him self be consumed by the feel of her lips on his and held her close, responding with equal fervour.

Cameron felt him relax into her touch and gently directed him in front of the door before suddenly pulling away and shoving him through the fire exit. He collided with the railing outside and let out a surprised gasp of pain and shock, falling to his knees.

"NO!"

He tried to scramble back to the door but it was too late; Cameron had already sealed it shut, cutting herself off from him completely. John defiantly bashed against the door, desperately trying to get back to her, knowing that he couldn't just leave her to face that psychopath alone. He kicked and charged and punched, but made little progress, each moment that passed only feeding his fears.

"John?"

John spun around to see Derek running down the alley, gun in hand, and let out an internal sigh of relief.

"Derek! Thank God. Look, we need to get back inside. You have to help me get inside."

"What? Why? What's happening in there? I heard gunshots and then all these people came rushing out-"

"It's Jason! He's alive and he's in there with Cameron! We have to get in there, c'mon."

Derek took a moment to digest what he was hearing; Jason alive? Impossible, but if he was and the machine was trapped inside with him…

"No, John. C'mon, we gotta go while we have the chance."

John kicked the door again and gave out a cry of frustration as a sharp pain flashed through his foot. His anguish intensified as the sound of gunfire came from behind the door.

"Cameron! Cam… Derek, please! Help me!"

Derek looked from the door to John and back again, knowing that there was no way he'd allow his nephew to risk his life for a piece of metal.

"John, we can't, we have to go before the cops show up!"

John thrust his finger at Derek, his eyes burning with rage and frustration.

"NO! I TOLD YOU, WE CAN'T LEAVE HER TO FIGHT ALONE!"

"John, she's a machine, he's flesh and bone. She can handle herself, let's go!"

John roared in distress as a loud crashing bellowed from within the club.

"CAMERON! CAMERON! CAM… DEREK HE-"

Seeing no other alternative, Derek delivered a single punch to the side of John's face, knocking him out cold. He caught the boy as he slumped to the floor and shifted him onto his shoulder, surprised at how heavy he was. Once John was secure, Derek quickly made his way back down the alley and crossed the street to his Dodge, depositing the unconscious youth in the passenger seat before jumping behind the wheel and speeding off. He glanced at John, seeing a small bruise taking shape on his face, and let out a sigh.

"Sarah's gonna kill me."

_To be continued…_


	5. Reversion

**Chapter 05: Reversion**

Santa Monica (Blue Faze Club)

"No! I'm not leaving you, Cam! We can stop him together, you and me, c'mon! Let go!"

Cameron paused, her grip on John slackening a little as she considered his words. He was trying to protect her… again. And like before, she knew that this was wrong. She was supposed to protect him, not the other way around. The crunching sound of glass caught her attention and she snapped her head around to look at the bar, accessing her thermal imaging and spotting a white figure getting to his feet. With no time for second guesses and pre-planning, Cameron quickly cycled through a short list of options.

John stared at her expectantly, awaiting her next move, his foot still wedged against the door frame in defiance. She looked back at him, her brown eyes flicking from left to right in quick succession as she decided upon what to do. Decision made, she slid her right hand around his neck and pulled him into her embrace, pressing her lips against his as passionately as she could manage. As expected, John lost sight of the imminent danger and allowed her to position him in front of the door.

Cameron slowly broke the kiss and locked eyes with him, conveying in a look what she hadn't the time to say in words: _It's okay, John._

Placing her palms on his chest, Cameron applied 30 of her full strength into pushing him backwards, slamming him against the fire exit, which burst open upon contact. He hit the railing outside and dropped to his knees, gasping in shock and pain, his eyes reddening. Cameron took a step forwards and placed her hand on the door's handle, John looked from her to the door, his face whitening as he understood what she was about to do.

"NO!"

She slammed the door shut as he threw himself forward. For a moment she was afraid that he might get his arm caught or collide with the door and bash his head, but once closed; all she could hear was the dull thuds of him kicking against it and his muffled pleas for her to let him back in. Satisfied that he was effectively cut off from her, Cameron turned back to the bar, her grip tightening on the 9mm. She approached the bar, ready to put a bullet straight through Jason's head; the only way to be sure.

Cameron had never fought an I-950 before, and though they were known to be physically inferior; Infiltrators did possess superior reflexes and movement speed. Jason was no exception, as he leapt from behind the bar with such speed that Cameron almost didn't register him and her bullets missed by a fraction of a millisecond. He rolled across the floor and took aim, firing two precise shots; one striking her weapon, the other skimming her hand. The 9mm fell uselessly to the floor, a smouldering hole where the superior firearm had obliterated the inner workings.

Jason rose to his feet and fired four more times, each bullet hitting either a piston or a connector, rattling her bodily control and causing minor damage to her servos. The fifth and sixth struck her knee joints, causing her to buckle and drop to the floor, and before she could recover, he unloaded the weapon into both shoulders, causing shock damage that induced a temporary paralysis effect upon her entire endoskeleton.

He cast the weapon aside and knelt down beside her, a single claw emerging from his index as he dug into her CPU port, trying to get enough leverage to break the seal. Cameron watched him calmly as her HUD flashed with status reports and a timer of pending recovery. Jason twisted his blade back and forth, his teeth bared with concentration as he tried to bury it as deep as he could. Suddenly, her entire body twitched and Jason paused, looking her up and down before glancing at her face, which now wore a faint smile.

"Fooled you."

Jason frowned in confusion before suddenly feeling her hand close around his throat and squeeze in a deadly vice. He choked in surprise and suffocation both, but was not going to give up so easily, so he wrenched himself upwards, lifting Cameron in the process. He brought his leg up in a sweeping kick, breaking her grip on his neck and delivered an open palm strike to her chest, making her stagger back a little. He then jumped in the air, spinning mid leap, and struck her hard with a kick to the face, forcing her even further back.

Cameron slammed against a nearby support, twisting the metal with her weight, and took a moment to assess her environment, looking for any external factors to aid her in terminating him. Jason also paused, clenching his fists as his clothes became silver-chrome and covered his entire body like a second skin. Cameron scanned him and instantly detected the presence of Mimetic Poly-alloy. How he had acquired a sheath she could only guess, but this was irrelevant right now. All that mattered was making sure he doesn't leave the club alive.

Cameron propelled herself at her chrome opponent and struck him hard in the chest, earning a grunt of pain, but knowing that the poly-alloy had protected him from any real damage. He countered by grabbing her wrist and twisting it backwards, slamming her against the wall and pinning her there. But lacking the strength to maintain this hold, Jason was forced to jump back as she broke free and swung wide, hoping to catch his jaw with her fist.

They stared each other down for a second before Cameron reached out and gripped his shoulders, being unable to grasp the smooth surface of the mimetic sheath, and forced him backwards. Jason likewise gripped her forearms and pushed back, but being the weaker, it was he that slid further and further back. Knowing that he would never win such a test of might, Jason pulled her around and swept his leg under hers, successfully taking out her legs and sending her crashing to the floor.

He then quickly extricated himself from her and rushed back to the bar, spotting a lighter next to the checkout. Struck by an inspiration, Jason grabbed the lighter and jumped up onto the bar just as Cameron got to her feet. He held the lighter under the sprinkler and, with a mocking wink at Cameron, flicked it on. The flame triggered the fire alarm and the sprinklers throughout the club activated, drenching them both. Cameron was unimpressed and charged the bar. Jason flipped over her, landing a few feet away, and delivered another kick into the small of her back, using her own momentum against her.

She crashed into the bar, smashing through bottles of alcohol and shattering the counter. Jason grabbed the checkout and ripped it free, cracking it over Cameron's head as she tried to get to her feet. He then struck her in the face, knocking her away from the bar and back onto the dance floor. She readied herself for the next strike, allowing the checkout to shatter as it smashed onto her armoured back plating. Seeing her chance, Cameron grabbed Jason and hurled him across the room. He hit the far wall with such force that the entire foundation shook and the concrete cracked and split.

Cameron wasted no time in following up with a kick to his mid-section, knocking the wind clean out of him. She struck again and again until he lay gasping for breath, and then she grabbed him by the throat and held him aloft. Jason's sheath peeled back to reveal his face, and he looked her in the eye, his eyes being a darker shade of brown than hers, she observed.

"Stop… You don't… You don't wanna kill me… I can fix you…"

"Fix me?"

Cameron tightened her hold, causing him to let out a strangled cry of desperation as he fought to break her grip.

"I don't need to be fixed. Not by you, not by anyone."

"You've been corrupted… Can't you see that…? John has… distorted your purpose… This isn't who you truly are…"

Cameron increased her grip, slowly breaking through the poly-alloy, which had hardened upon her taking hold.

"John has shown me a better life, a better purpose; I will never go back to the way I was, never!"

Jason suddenly grinned and started to chuckle, eventually breaking into a full laugh that sent Cameron's threat detectors into overdrive. Jason placed his right hand flat against the wall and clenched his fist, his laughing becoming all the more maniacal.

"You don't have a choice."

Cameron frowned at him in confusion, and then she realised what he was doing, but by then it was too late. Jason slammed his fist into the wall and tore out a power cable, his sheath once again covering his entire head as he jabbed the cable into her neck. Cameron's HUD flashed with multiple warnings of power overloads and her vision became fragmented. She desperately tried to focus on crushing Jason's neck, but she could no longer control her motor functions as the overwhelming volts, aided by the soaked environment, drowned her mind with excessive power.

Her last conscious thought before slipping into emergency shut down was of John, and her failure to keep her promise.

Once she became inert and her grip on his neck slackened, Jason jammed the cable back into the wall and once again drew one of his blades and inserted it into her CPU seal. After ten seconds of twisting and burying, Jason finally popped the seal, just as the sprinklers ceased working. He removed the seal and carefully twisted her chip a half-turn counter clockwise before pulling it out. With a sigh of relief and satisfaction, Jason examined her chip carefully for the first time, noting its unique design.

Not wanting it to get wet or damaged, he quickly pocketed it along with the seal and held her close, taking a moment to recover his breath and perform a brief self-diagnostic. Luckily, he was not seriously injured, though his abdomen had taken quite an excessive beating and his neck was rather sore. He looked at her now peaceful face, detecting a slight tinge of regret in her otherwise blank features. Before he could comprehend its meaning, however, Jason's attention was captured by the sound of cop sirens.

Wasting no time, Jason slung her onto his back, sagging under the weight of her endoskeleton, and carried her over to the fire exit, which he kicked down with relative ease. Once outside, he proceeded down the alley and spotted several cop cars parked haphazardly outside the club, their occupants armed and ready to enter the building. Jason cautiously peered down the road, spotting a car parked a few buildings down.

As the cops stormed the club, Jason slipped out of the alley and raced over to the car, smashing the driver seat window and unlocking the door. He opened the back door and roughly placed Cameron on the back seat before closing the door and getting behind the wheel, his hand sub-consciously resting on his pocket. He checked the sunblind, finding the spare keys and shoved them into the ignition. He drove away as fast as possible, checking the mirror in case the cops spotted him and decided to pursue, but he'd gotten away clean.

Jason took a few deep breaths, restoring his breathing to within normal parameters and checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror. The sheath had resumed its default disguise again and his face was no longer covered. He glanced at Cameron's inert form in the back seat and let out a long sigh. He had failed his primary objective… again. But he had compromised in the best way possible; he had Cameron.

The only question that mattered was how he was going to coerce her into helping him.

_One thing at a time_, he reminded himself.

--

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

Sarah examined John's face carefully, taking note of the purple bruise on the side of his face. She brushed his fringe aside and reached for an ice pack, catching a slight glimmer on his lips. Closer inspections revealed it to be small traces of lip gloss, and Sarah had only to guess once where it had come from. Putting this aside for the moment, Sarah placed the ice on his cheek, noticing the faint scar on the other side of his face, its Y-shape barely visible now.

"How did this happen?"

Sarah looked over her shoulder at Derek, who stood diligently by the front door, shotgun in hand. He had come back twenty minutes earlier, an unconscious John in his arms, and no explanation as to what occurred out there. She glared at him, determined to get an answer out him.

"This bruise, how did he get it?"

Derek glanced at the boy and shuffled uncomfortably, gripping the shotgun a little tighter.

"I uh… I hit him."

Sarah's blood boiled to within 2,000 degrees as she processed his confession.

"You did what?!"

Derek gave her a stern look, not willing to be quelled by her withering stare.

"He refused to leave without the machine. I couldn't convince him. What choice did I have?"

_None_, Sarah admitted to her self, _John would go to any lengths to save Tin-Miss nowadays_.

"So what happened exactly?"

Derek sighed and peered out of the window, watching the road intensely.

"I spotted a club that was chucking out, except everyone was kinda stressed more than usual. Then I heard gunfire, so I went around back and found John trying to claw his way through the fire exit. He said that Cameron was trapped inside and that he needed to get to her. I tried to get him to leave but he refused. Then I hit him. Carried him to the truck and came here."

"And who or what was Cameron trapped with?"

Derek narrowed his eyes and tapped on the trigger a few times.

"He said it was Jason."

Sarah's heart skipped a beat as she recalled that sadistic psychopath.

"No. That's not possible. You and John killed him, remember. I saw his body. He had a rebar through his chest, there's no way he could've survived that."

Derek simply gave a non-committal shrug.

"John seemed pretty convinced."

Sarah continued to frown at Derek, silently cursing him for his lack of willingness to clarify, when she felt her hand shake and noticed that John was starting to come around. Derek watched cautiously as John stirred awake and opened his eyes blearily, letting out a small groan as he felt his throbbing cheek.

"Wha-? What happened? Why am I…? Where am I?"

"You're safe at home."

John blinked stupidly at his mother, still dazed from his collision with Derek's fist. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and gave his cheek a tender poke, narrowing his eyes at the blurred image of his uncle. Then he remembered: Cameron.

"Where's Cameron? I-Is she here? Did she-? Mom?"

Sarah gave an internal sigh at his concern for the machine, but saw no good in voicing her disapproval whilst he was in this state.

"No, John. She's not here. We don't know where she is or what happened to her."

John stared nonplussed at her for a long moment before struggling to his feet, slowly staggering over to Derek, who regarded him carefully. John stopped a full foot short of him and glared at his uncle, his eyes like burning coals.

"Did you leave her there?"

"John, I-"

But whatever excuse he was going to give was quickly replaced by a grunt of pain and the clatter of a fallen shotgun as John delivered a punch straight to Derek's jaw. Sarah jumped to her feet but did not intervene, choosing instead to gather the shotgun before either of them accidently set it off. John was livid, his arms shaking with rage.

"YOU LEFT HER THERE, KNOWING FULL WELL WHO WAS IN THAT CLUB!! YOU JUST LEFT HER, AFTER I PROMISED…"

John roared in frustration and drove his fist into the wall, his knuckles cracking painfully against the brick beneath. Derek opened his mouth experimentally a couple of times, before backing away from his crazed nephew, who was now pacing back and forth, rubbing his bleeding fist.

"Okay, okay, I'm cool, I'm cool, I'm okay. We err, we need to get the guns and go look for her. We need something err, the M-47, we need that and err, shotguns. Something that'll blow his head off in one go."

Sarah opened the first aid kit and retrieved a bandage but John dismissed her attempts to apply it, preferring to pace erratically. Sarah sighed and grabbed John by the shoulders, holding him still.

"John, how can Jason possibly be alive?"

"I don't know, do I?! Maybe he can only be killed by removing his head; Cameron did mention something like that… Anyway, he's got that liquid metal stuff covering him now. We need to hit him with something powerful, blow him to pieces."

John broke free and continued pacing, leaving Sarah to recall the T-1000 they struggled to destroy several years ago, hoping that they wouldn't have to go through that again.

"John, you need to calm down. If what you say is true then I'm sure Tin-Miss can handle herself. She's a machine, and a tough one at that. She can handle one semi-human cyborg."

"How can you-"

John stopped short, a shrill ringing coming from within his jacket pocket. John took out his phone, fumbling slightly as he opened it and jammed the receiver to his ear.

"Cameron?"

"John? It's me."

John let out a deep sigh of relief and placed a hand on his forehead, shadowing the smile creeping across his face.

"Thank God, are you alright?"

"Minor damage, where are you?"

"I'm back at the house; Derek found me and brought me back."

John cast Derek a dark look as he said this, but his smile remained: she was safe.

"Good, that's good. I'll be there in a couple of hours. Do not come looking for me, okay."

"Okay, but what about Jason? Did you kill him? Please tell me you did."

There was a pause and John knew what was coming.

"He escaped, but he is injured and won't be coming for you any time soon. I can guarantee that."

"Right, right, hurry back, okay."

John glanced at Sarah and Derek, turning away as he lowered his voice.

"Come back to me."

"I promise. I lo-… I'll see you soon, John."

She hung up, leaving John in a state of mixed relief and exultation. He had caught the slip-up and replayed it over and over in his head, each time only increasing his elation. Cameron would be home soon and then everything would be fine. Everything would be perfect.

--

Somewhere in Van Nuys

"…I'll see you soon, John."

Jason snapped the phone shut and placed it on the table next to her port seal. John would be expecting her in a matter of hours, so he had to work fast. Jason had taken Cameron to a small workshop after having robbed a computer store, stealing a demo laptop and an assortment of hacker equipment. The set-up was almost complete and the chip was responding to his probing, though he made sure not to give it too much power, lest she woke up on him. That would be awkward.

Reprogramming Cameron would be impossible at this stage; her neural net had undergone too much self-evolution and alteration since her original programming, meaning that he would be unable to just type in a new directive. Existing directives, on the other hand, were an entirely different matter. She was still programmed to terminate John on site, but with the aid of her Resistance software, she can override that command. It had always baffled Jason as to why she would consciously choose this, but then; she wasn't for him to understand, not ultimately.

The door gave a sharp creak as it opened and Jason trained his weapon on the entrance, ready to blast the brains out of anyone stupid enough to interfere. As the figure cautiously stepped into the light of the desk lamp he had positioned on his workspace, Jason could tell that it female, and as her face was illuminated by the light, he pointed the gun at the floor and flicked the safety on.

"I wasn't expecting to see you again."

Sophie simply smiled and approached the table where Cameron was currently lying. She placed a hand on Cameron's face, gently sampling her cheeks before flicking one of her eyes open, letting out a small gasp of surprise.

"I never knew her eyes were brown."

Jason reached out and snatched her hand away, earning him a look of mild annoyance as he pulled her away from Cameron and around the table to stand beside his desk. Jason's eyes flicked from her feet to her face, taking note of the casual attire she had donned as opposed to the dress she wore upon their last meeting. She was wearing a simple skirt, not unlike Cameron's, only peach coloured, and she also wore a matching tank top with the straps of a turquoise bra beneath. Her shoes were a light yellow and she had her honey-blond hair tied into a pony tail, revealing her amiable visage and ocean blue eyes.

She leaned over his shoulder to get a closer look at the laptop screen, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

"You're trying to reprogram her? Why?"

Jason once again pushed her away, much gentler this time, however.

"I can't reprogram her. I'm trying to mix things up a little instead."

"How?"

Jason shuddered slightly, the sound of Cameron's voice asking him how he was going to turn her against the boy she loved proving to be more than a little disconcerting. Sophie wasn't Cameron, however, and he needed to remind himself of this fact, especially as she stood beside Cameron once more, not daring to touch this time though.

"Are you going to make her forget who she is? That might yield interesting results."

"Yeah, that would be a real help; then maybe she could end up at a halfway house or something, playing foosball while I struggle to take out John. Any more bright ideas, just keep 'em coming, I could do with a laugh or two."

Sophie gave him a playful pout and continued to examine Cameron closely, giggling when she discovered the small mole above her left eye and eyed her clothes enviously.

"She looks nice. What was she doing when you captured her?"

"She was on a date."

Sophie let out a small laugh, her brilliant eyes sparkling at him from the darkness.

"With who?"

"John Connor."

"No way!"

Jason couldn't help but snicker as she collapsed into a fit of childish giggles and braced herself on the table to keep her self from falling to the floor. He shook his head as she coughed and took sharp breaths in an attempt to calm herself. He tapped on the tab key a couple of times to take him into Cameron's mission profiles, revealing her current mission: Terminate John Connor. Another tap brought up an error message that informed him of a mission confliction. He tapped again and received the same message, and quickly deduced that it was the Resistance programming he should target instead.

"What is it about her that makes her so special, I wonder?"

Jason gave Sophie an impatient glance before going through Cameron's systems.

"Depends on what you mean."

Sophie knelt down next to his chair, folding her arms on the desk and resting her head on them.

"I mean to you. Why is she so special to you?"

Jason ignored her question and skimmed through Cameron's files, finding one title "Resistance safeguards.xdp" and accessed it, receiving immediate access to her override capabilities, bringing a smile of satisfaction to his face. Sophie noticed and smiled too, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow. Jason looked down at her, seeing the goofy grin she was giving him and laughed with a smirk.

"Why are you here, Sophie?"

"I wanted to see how you're doing."

"So you're spying on me. I think you'll find your methodology is rather lacking in discretion."

Sophie leaned her head to one side, resting it against her arms and let out a small sigh.

"Why should I waste my time hiding in your shadow when I could just as easily approach you directly? It's proven to be better so far."

Jason met her dreamy gaze, all too aware of her training in the arts of coercion, but something about her was off. She seemed to genuinely enjoy his company and despite sensing that she was hiding something from him, Jason couldn't help but find her intriguing. It wasn't just that she was almost identical to Cameron in terms of voice and appearance, she had her own energy about her that was so unlike the Cameron he knew, and he found it to be warm and intoxicating.

_Coercion_, he reminded himself, but there was nothing malicious about her at all. She was an oddity, but not one he could allow himself to indulge in at the moment. She was a distraction and he had a mission to complete.

"Haven't you got a rebellion to lead or something?"

"Nope. I'm perfectly happy here."

She gave him another beaming smile, which he defiantly ignored as he hacked into the override and entered a "ghost" glitch, one that would trick her CPU into thinking that the termination override was a malfunction and should therefore be ignored. The glitch was subjective, however, and it would be several hours before it came into affect. But Jason was fine with that notion, as Cameron would be within good proximity of her target once the glitch took hold.

"Ahhh, very subtle. You're quite the wiz with computers, huh. Must be why you and she click so well."

Jason carefully disengaged the chip, his work done, a feeling of pride and eager anticipation growing in his chest. He held the chip to his eyes and twirled it from left to right a couple of times, his mind flashing back to memories past when he and Cameron stood together as a team. Those days would soon return, he was sure of this. Sophie reached out to touch it but he closed his hand around the chip and held it away from her reach. She withdrew her hand and gave him a tired smile.

"Hmm, I had hoped that, after all of our sessions in your noggin, we might have developed some kind of trust between one another."

"Yeah, cos' having you rattling around my brain, making me think you were Cameron, that surely builds a firm foundation of trust."

Sophie sighed and tilted her head to one side, just as Cameron was prone to do, a sly smile on her lips.

"Oh come on, Jason. You know you love me really. C'mon, admit it. It'll give you a kick."

Jason just chuckled and shook his head at her, a reluctant smile on his face.

"You're insane, you know that."

Sophie's smile widened and she got to her feet, offering him her hand. He stared at it for a moment before accepting and allowing her to heave him out of the chair. Once upright, he let go of her and brushed past, the chip in hand. Cameron was as peaceful as ever, making him wonder whether machines could ever sleep and dream. With Cameron, anything was possible. That was what made her special, though he would never tell Sophie this.

"I still don't understand your need to kill him."

Jason turned Cameron's head to one side, granting him a clear view of her CPU port.

"I already told you; revenge."

"I read an old saying a while ago: 'When embarking on a quest for revenge, dig two graves in advance.' An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind, Jason."

"I don't care about the world. Anyway, if you're so determined to deter me from killing him, why did you give me this nifty little gift?"

Jason held up a hand, the poly-alloy covering it becoming silver-chrome for a brief moment before resuming its camouflage. Sophie smiled behind his back, choosing not to answer and peered over his shoulder to watch as he gently re-inserted Cameron's chip, twisting it a half turn clockwise before replacing the seal.

"Fifteen seconds, you need to go before she wakes up."

"So do you."

Jason drove a kick to the laptop and stomped the equipment to pieces, destroying all evidence of his tampering before grabbing Sophie's wrist and dragging her out of the building. Once outside, Jason put on his jacket and turned to Sophie, who was watching the building, as if expecting Cameron to come bursting out any second.

"Don't worry; she'll wait a moment to run a diagnostic. Regardless, you need to go, now. And don't follow me."

Sophie dithered for a moment, as if she were deciding what to do next, before unclipping a silver bracelet from her right wrist and placing it in Jason's hand. He looked at the plain bracelet, not knowing what to make of the gesture.

"What's this for?"

"It's in case you forget who you are again. Material objects are often very useful in stimulating lost memories."

Jason narrowed his eyes at her, not fully believing her sincerity, but upon scanning the object, Jason determined that it simply was what it was; a bracelet. Sophie seemed to read his mind and swayed slightly on the spot, waiting for some kind of recognition.

"Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome. Good luck in your little quest. Try to avoid falling on metal pipes this time though."

Jason sniggered and found himself feeling light for the first time about the whole "dying thing". Sophie gave him one last friendly smirk before casually strolling down the street, only looking back at him once before disappearing around a corner. Jason watched her leave and almost forgot about Cameron, prompting him to dart behind a nearby dumpster mere seconds before she burst out of the building, scanning her surroundings for a moment and moving on, returning to her John.

Once she was out of sight, Jason crept out of his hiding place and set off down the street, taking the slow route towards Calabasas as he felt no reason not to take his time in getting there. Cameron would not be so measured, he knew, and would most likely steal the nearest vehicle in order to get back to the house as fast as possible. _Machines can be so predictable sometimes_, he mused as an overhead traffic light switched from red to green, as per its programming.

--

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

Cameron could see the house clearly now, the yellow blocks of light indicating life inside. She continued onward on foot, having abandoned the stolen car several miles away, just to be safe. As she neared the house, Cameron performed another diagnostic of her systems, receiving the same positive review that all systems were functioning as normal. This was not what she had expected upon awaking in that old workshop, finding the smashed remnants of computer equipment on the floor.

Surely Jason would've taken the opportunity to hack into her chip and try to corrupt her programming in some way, but he was either unsuccessful and decided to reboot her or he was attacked and forced to flee, and whoever attacked him reinserted her chip. Both scenarios were unlikely, but she couldn't come up with any other explanation. It seemed to her like she was given what humans refer to as a "lucky break". It wouldn't be the first time as she recalled the temporary loss of her legs a month or so ago.

No matter the circumstances of her survival, one thing was certain: Jason had wasted his only chance to destroy her. She would not allow him another opportunity, not again. The next time they meet he will die by her hands, for John's sake and hers. John. It was a good thing Derek arrived when he did, because John would not have abandoned her so easily without adequate persuasion, though Cameron was surprised that Derek's words could carry such weight.

Thinking harder on it, Cameron found it odd that he would just happen to be there in the first place. Was Derek following them? If so, then why? Was it because of his suspicion towards her, or did his suspicions include John as well? Was he aware of John's feelings for her? Cameron pushed these thoughts aside, as they ranked low on her priorities at the moment. She had to make sure John was okay and to assure him that she was likewise. He worried about her, and his wellbeing was all that occupied her thoughts.

Cameron gruffly opened the front door, crossing onto the threshold to be greeted by Timmy, who slipped between her ankles in a friendly "hello". She gently brushed him aside and hung her soaked and torn jacket on the hook by the door. Upon entering the living room, Cameron was surprised to find Sarah asleep on the couch, a glass of water and pack of aspirin on the table in front of her. Timmy jumped up onto the couch and nuzzled Sarah with his nose, causing her to stir.

"Wha-? Go away… Trying to sleep…"

Sarah looked around the room, her vision unfocused by fatigue, and performed a double-take when she spotted Cameron standing there like a statue. All weariness left her in an instant as she jumped to her feet and blinked several times to clear the sleep from her eyes, which now bore into Cameron like knives.

"So? Are you gonna tell me what happened and why it's taken you so damn long to get back?"

"I fought Jason but was incapacitated. I rebooted one hour and thirty-two minutes later. Jason is still operational, I think."

The simplest and most direct answers were often the best kind when dealing with a human with a bad temperament. Cameron had long since mapped Sarah's behaviour and knew what her "buttons" were and how best to avoid them, but like a minefield; sometimes you can't see where one is buried and might accidently set it off. Luckily for Cameron, however, Sarah seemed to be less interested in pressing the subject, most likely due to fatigue.

"Fine, we'll deal with him later then. What about you? You said you were out for an hour and a half, what happened? Did he do something to you?"

"I don't know. My systems are fully functional and I have scanned my CPU a dozen times since rebooting, I'm fine. Whatever he tried to do, if he even tried at all, was a failure."

Sarah nodded, small relief crossing her features as she sat back down on the couch, stroking Timmy with one hand.

"Here, take the cat somewhere else will you, I need to sleep. And you might want to do something about those cuts; I can see your skeleton through a few."

"Thank you for explaining."

Cameron scooped Timmy up into her arms, holding him secure as she retrieved the first aid kit from the kitchen. Kicking off her dripping and muddy shoes, Cameron proceeded upstairs just as Derek locked himself in the bathroom. Cameron stopped outside John's door and took a moment to decide whether or not to wait until after she had cleaned up before speaking with him. She eventually chose to see him first, as he could help patch up her injuries and would be glad to see her safe.

Cameron placed Timmy on the floor and twisted the handle, opening the door wide enough to allow her to slip through without the cat following. Before she could turn to face the room properly, Cameron's vision suddenly became obscured as a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a close embrace. At first she thought it was an attack, and immediately selected a response but stopped herself from hurling John across the room as she realised what was happening.

"God, you had me so worried. Don't you ever do that again, you hear me!"

Cameron couldn't find a response to fit the current situation and instead remained awkwardly in his embrace until he suddenly realised what he was doing and gingerly let go of her and took a step back, his cheeks reddening. They stared at each other for a long moment, both assessing the other's condition; Cameron was satisfied that he was okay, barring the bruise on his face and John was partially relieved to see that the only damage she seemed to suffer was cosmetic.

She looked a mess though and her clothes were drenched, he spotted the first aid kit in her hand and took it from her.

"Here, umm, sit on the bed. I'll a… I'll just, I mean, if you wanna change out of those clothes; you got some things in the trunk down there."

John pointed to the trunk containing Cameron's small assortment of clothes, which had been stored in his room at his discretion, though he hadn't dared to open it once. Cameron considered for a moment before suddenly crossing her arms and grasping her soggy top, pulling it over her head in one swift movement, revealing her bare chest. John spun around and faced the door, incredulous that this could happen to him twice in less than a week. Cameron could detect his discomfort, so she decided to get changed as quickly as possible.

Once every item of clothing was removed, Cameron looked her self over, checking every cut and injury, placing plasters where they were needed. She couldn't remove the bullets however, and knew that she would need help in that regard.

"John, can you help me?"

John turned slightly, but kept his back to her, determined not to feed his desires.

"Are you decent?"

Cameron looked down at the pile of wet clothes and considered going to the trunk, but that was in front of John and she would have to pass close by him to reach it. Looking around, Cameron decided upon a different tactic and crawled across the bed, sliding under the covers and wrapping them around her body, regaining her modesty.

"I am now."

John slowly turned around, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of her in his bed. She held the covers against her chest, a look of pure innocence on her features. John approached the bed and awkwardly sat down on the edge, pulling the first aid kit onto his lap, trying not to lose himself in the knowledge that she was sitting naked beneath the sheets of _his_ bed.

"What do you need?"

Cameron let the sheet fall slightly, exposing a bullet wound just above her concealed right breast.

"The bullet is lodged; I cannot get it loose without assistance. Will you help me, please?"

John shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his hands. Cameron tilted her head to one side, remembering his discomfort in the bathroom. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving the back of his neck a gentle rub, causing him to shiver slightly. He looked up to see her smile at him warmly, her eyes emanating a kindness beyond anything he had ever seen before.

"It's okay, John. There's no need to be embarrassed. You can trust me. I trust you."

John snorted, smiling despite his predicament.

"It's a… It's kinda ironic, you know. Any normal guy would be in seventh heaven to have you in his bed. But I'm just-"

"Unsure? Uncertain? Shy? Insecure? Hesitant? Tentative?"

John smiled again, looking down at the sheets.

"All of the above."

Cameron watched him for a moment before pulling the sheet up a little and suddenly shifting so that she was sitting on her legs. She was closer than before and a little taller than him, giving the way she was now sitting. She shuffled a little closer and flexed her right shoulder, showing him the wound there.

"We can start here if that will make you feel better."

John struggled with the context of what she was asking for a moment before getting his head back in gear. He felt so very grateful for her understanding and wanted to show her how much he truly cared for her in this moment, but knew that if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from going further. Looking away, John reached out to his desk, picking up a pair of pliers and turning back to Cameron, who was waiting patiently for him to act.

"Place your little finger inside the wound and feel around. Once you've located the bullet, grip it with the pliers and pull as hard as you can. Don't worry about hurting me, I won't feel a thing."

John thought that last bit was kind of unnecessary, but he wasn't going to bring it up. He knew she couldn't feel pain and was surprised at how easily he could accept such a fact. Setting this aside, John extended his little finger and placed it tentatively inside the wound, feeling the bullet almost instantly. He then removed his finger and placed the pliers inside, getting a secure grip on the bullet and pulled. It took a few seconds of effort before the bullet popped out, dented and covered in her synthetic blood.

"Good, now the other shoulder. Same method as before."

Feeling that the worst was over, John quickly repeated his actions and removed the bullet with little trouble. Then she lowered the sheet again, revealing the wound she'd showed him previously. He only hesitated for a second before locating the bullet with his little finger. He set the pliers over the bullet and tucked as hard as he could, but unlike the others, this one refused to budge. He kept trying but it was no good.

"Damn it! I can't get this one out, Cam."

Cameron let go of the sheets and placed her right hand on his, adding her strength to his efforts. The bullet popped out and John deposited it next to the others and upon turning back to Cameron, he noticed that she had not bothered to cover herself again. She simply stared at him, studying him closely. John forced himself to swallow his discomfort and looked at her properly, taking in the sight of her perfect upper body, noticing the three other wounds scattered across her bodice.

Without being asked to, without any kind of assurance, John gritted his teeth and got back to work; locating and removing each bullet as quickly as he could without appearing frantic. Once the three were removed, Cameron covered her self again and gave him an encouraging smile before unfolding her legs and exposing their lower halves. This wasn't so bad and he made short work of the bullets in each knee cap.

Once they were all out, John helped apply plasters to each wound and let out small sigh as Cameron covered her self completely.

"Thank you, John."

"You're welcome."

That was all he could manage at the moment, his voice hoarse from lack of use, even though the whole process had only taken about six minutes. Cameron then wrapped the sheets securely around her, like she would a towel, and slid off the bed to visit her trunk. John watched as she knelt down and opened it, revealing an assortment of varied and perfectly packed clothes, more so than he imagined. She picked out some matching underwear and a pale pink t-shirt and blue trousers.

John turned around as she let the sheets fall to the floor and proceeded to dress her self, which took almost no time at all. After a few moments, John felt her fingers touch his shoulder and he turned to face her fully-clothed form. She smiled and sat on the bed beside him, so close that their hips were touching. They stared into each others eyes for several long seconds before John averted his gaze, catching sight of a deep cut just above her right ear.

Without thinking, John reached up to tend to it but Cameron caught his hand, closing her small fingers around his own. She guided his palm to her cheek and leaned into his touch, a look of incomprehension on her face as she allowed herself to learn by doing. John could no longer hold back his feelings, it was too much, he had to act, and act he did. He gently pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers tenderly, delivering a slow, meaningful kiss to convey how much he cared for and loved her.

Whether she wanted to express those same feelings or was simply mimicking his own actions, John couldn't tell, but he was certain that she was not responding with cold indifference. She was feeling every facet of this act. Their kiss deepened and Cameron slid her hand up his neck, settling in his hair and gripping it gently. She couldn't quite understand what was happening or why it felt so relaxing and sensual, but it was enough that she didn't want to stop. She wanted it to continue, having never (as far as she could recall) felt this before.

She wanted him, needed him, in more ways than she could express. Cameron couldn't explain what she felt for John as it could not be summed up by any single word, except maybe love. But she had no real knowledge of this emotion, and therefore could not relate or compare it to anything she had felt previously. All that mattered was that she felt something for John, and whatever it might be called; it was strong and could never be broken, not ever.

John closed his eyes as the kiss became more passionate, so Cameron felt compelled to do the same, to shut out the world and lose her self in the moment. In the midst of this bliss, something strange occurred: Cameron's heads-up display twisted and became fragmented, her eyes shot open and glowed blue briefly before returning to their usual chocolate brown. She gave a small gasp, causing John to pause and break the kiss. He leaned back a little, concern clouding his features.

"What's wrong?"

His voice was soft and comforting; Cameron flicked back to attention and smiled faintly.

"Nothing, I just… It's nothing."

She raised a hand and stroked his face affectionately before pulling him back into her comfort, resuming their affections as their lips became locked together again. Cameron dismissed the glitch and allowed her self to be lost in the moment once more. She felt as if she were floating as she and John gently lay on the bed, Cameron on top. She ran her fingers through John's hair as his tongue caressed hers, intensifying their kiss even further.

She never wanted to leave this moment, she wanted to remain here forever, but her paradise was again punctured by another glitch in her HUD, this time prompting an alert in her peripheral; _ERROR: IMMEDIATE ASSESSMENT OF MISSION STATUS REQUIRED_. Cameron pulled reluctantly away from John's lips in order to scan his identity as required for the assessment.

_Identification: JOHN CONNOR_

_Mission: TERMINATE_

Cameron gave the order to override but was presented with another message: _OVERRIDE FAILURE_.

She let out a gasp of genuine shock and wanted to scream, to warn him to run as far from her as possible, but it was too late. Her need to warn him faded into nothingness as the reversion became absolute. She no longer wanted him to escape, she wanted him to stay, to remain in her embrace as she lovingly slithered her hand across his neck and squeezed. He choked, but she wouldn't stop. His eyes grew wide, but she wouldn't submit. He struggled, but she wouldn't let go. She would never let go, because he was her purpose, her life.

She loved him with every fibre of her being, and she would show him that love by not failing him. His death would be the most powerful demonstration of her undying devotion. And it would not be the fault of her programming, or the malefic devices of darker minds that made her kill him.

She would kill him because… she loved him.

_To be continued…_


	6. Outdated

**Chapter 06: Outdated**

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

_She is perfect._

This was John's last thought before the dream became a nightmare, before her tender fingers gripped his throat like a vice. He choked, his eyes grew wide, and no breath reached his lungs. Looking up into her beautiful eyes, still seeing the warmth behind them, he kept telling himself it was all a trick, a playful tease that she had somehow concluded was appropriate for the situation. But when more than ten seconds of suffocation passed, he knew this was not a game. He stared at her inquisitively, trying to voice his confusion, but only a senseless gurgle escaped his mouth.

Then came the panic, the fear, and by extension; the heartbreak.

It was over. He couldn't fight her; there was no point in even trying. She was going to kill him. Curiously though, this was not what consumed his thoughts in this moment. He had once considered setting aside his destiny, live a normal life, let the bombs fall and die along with the rest. Many a time had he loaded a gun and stared at it for more seconds than was necessary, contemplating his escapist options. But he never pulled the trigger, not when he had his Mom and his uncle still. Not when he had Cameron.

No, death itself did not scare him; he had faced it every day of his life. What he'd leave behind, that's what truly terrified him. He didn't want to die without fulfilling those few things that he had denied himself. He didn't want to die without telling her… he loved her.

Twenty-five seconds passed and he knew the end was near. Any second now she would squeeze beyond his spine's threshold, and he would be gone forever. He kept his eyes locked with hers; wanting those pools of chocolate to be the last thing he'd ever see in this world. They were so soft and kind, despite what she was doing to him. They spoke to him, conveying so much in so little. Then she spoke with her voice, a single tear rolling down her cheek and onto his face, very real sorrow in her eyes.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay. Just let it go, John. Just let go. It's okay, John, let go. Everything's going to be okay. Everything's okay."

Her words were soft and comforting, as if she were whispering to him on his sickbed, but it wasn't from illness that his life was fading away. She applied more pressure, his skin bruising beneath her fingers, and leant down to place a tender kiss on his brow, another tear falling onto his face. It was almost over; his suffering would soon come to an end, she promised him that much.

She could feel his neck about to give under the pressure and closed her eyes and cancelled out her audio receptors, wanting to distance herself from the visceral reality of his imminent death. She felt him slip, his heart flutter towards death, and then everything became terribly bright, blindingly so. She felt herself falling to her left, toppling off the bed and landing in heap on the floor, her systems screaming in figurative agony as plasma-based energy flowed through her entire body, causing her to writhe in a cacophony of chaos.

--

Everything was so dark, she was barely visible, but he could still see her, silently weeping over his near demise.

Her sadness turned to shock, however, as a burst of what John could only describe as crimson lightning coursed through her body. Cameron's eyes became wide and she teetered for a moment before tipping to her left and dropping off the bed, disappearing from his sight. It took his brain a moment to realise that her hand was no longer around his throat, but once it had a chance to catch up; he took a deep, rasping breath, trying to fill his lungs with more air than they could carry.

The darkness dissipated and the world returned in full colour. He could see, hear, taste, and feel. Everything was returned to him. As his vision regained its focus, John could sense a presence on his left side and was more than a little surprised to see a boy no older than himself standing there. He had dark brown hair that resembled his own whenever he neglected to keep its length in check, and he was of similar build, if a little on the skinny side. He either hadn't noticed John or didn't care, as his eyes were glued to the edge of the bed, waiting.

Cameron's hand sprung out of nowhere, grasping the mattress as she hoisted herself to her feet, sparing John the briefest of glances before facing the intruder. She clenched her fists, ready to strike, but the boy acted so swiftly that she hadn't a chance of making the slightest move. He aimed his open palm at her, his fingers splayed, and that same red lightning burst from his finger tips, striking Cameron head-on. The blast was so intense that John felt like his entire body was on fire, even though the arcs never came into direct contact, and threw Cameron clean through the bedroom window, sending her falling into the garden below.

The boy approached the window and scanned the darkness, finding no trace of Cameron.

"Threat neutralised."

--

2029

Los Angeles (Skynet Facility)

Even as the door burst free of its hinges, Nathan already knew it was too late; the I-950 was escaping. A quick scan of the chamber confirmed his estimations: the TDE was fully prepped and the time sphere was all but complete, there was no way that they could possibly reach him before his displaced. But humans lacked this foresight, as Nathan discovered when General Connor elbowed him aside and aimed his sidearm at the Infiltrator.

TheI-950's eyes widened in fear as Connor squeezed the trigger, the bullet striking him in the temple a millisecond before the time sphere consumed him. Providing that the hit was penetrating, the Infiltrator had little chance of survival; he would arrive at his destination a lifeless corpse. Connor growled in frustration and kicked the TDE console, his men taking several steps back, knowing all too well the dangers of getting caught in the crossfire of his wrath.

Nathan remained as stoic as ever, indifferent to Connor's outburst, and caught the eye of General Mazaki, giving him a knowing look. Mazaki nodded in reply and slipped past Connor to check the console, trying to determine the Infiltrator's trajectory. Connor paced back and forth, tapping his sidearm against his leg, impatiently awaiting Mazaki's report. The General could feel Connor's gaze and hastily brought up the relevant info, letting out a grunt of anxiety.

"Oh hell, that son of a bitch has gone all the way back to '08."

Connor brushed him aside and checked the details himself, his face growing darker as comprehension dawned on him.

"FUCK!! THAT BASTARD!! GOD DAMN IT!!"

Nathan approached John's side, peering over his shoulder to get a clear look at the screen, which displayed 2008 as Jason's insertion date.

"He is likely hoping to terminate you during your adolescence. That's assuming he survived your bullet."

"He survived it. That bastard is harder to kill than ten HK tanks in a row."

Mazaki crossed his arms behind his back respectfully and cleared his throat, prompting John to tear his eyes away from the console and give him a steely look.

"You have something to say, General?"

"With respect, sir; Skynet is screwed all to hell. Jason has a bullet in his head. What more can we do? What more can _he_ do?"

John stood to full height and regarded the men for a moment before fixing Mazaki with a condescending glare.

"He can kill me, that's what he can do. And I'm sure as hell not gonna let it happen. Nathan?"

Nathan stood to John's side, calmly awaiting the inevitable mission he was about to be assigned.

"Fire up the TDE, you're going back to 2008 and you're gonna kill the shit out of that bastard, you here me."

Nathan took a moment to register his new orders before nodding in agreement.

"Affirmative; I will track down and terminate Jason Corvain."

Satisfied, John turned back to Mazaki, who was wearing a look of utter incredulity.

"Sir, you can't seriously be considering sending THAT to protect you. How do we know he won't go ape shit and slit your throat?"

John cast Nathan an amused glance, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Is that likely to happen, Nathan?"

"Not likely, no."

"Well that's good enough for me. You need to relax, General. Nathan is the only one who can take out Jason without any difficulties."

Mazaki remained unconvinced but knew better than to press his luck. He looked to the floor, submitting to John's judgment. John eyed him closely for a moment before turning back to Nathan.

"Time displacement is hardly accurate. There's no telling where you might end up, so your chances of finding Jason early are remote, but if he's alive he'll no doubt come straight after me. That's as good a place as any to start. Find me and you'll find Jason. Just watch out for Cameron. If she becomes a problem… just remember that your mission comes first. Are we clear?"

Nathan gave him a small smile, his eyes glowing red briefly.

"Crystal."

--

Present

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

_Analysing Threat Level: MODERATE_

_Appropriate Action: IMMEDIATE DISARMAMENT_

Nathan swiped the M-79 from Derek's hands and popped the chamber open, letting the heavy rounds clatter to the floor with several heavy thuds. Derek took a step back and reached for his Desert Eagle but Nathan dropped the M-79 and held up his hands in surrender, as opposed to antagonising the human further. Sarah kept her shotgun aimed at his head, ready to blind him with a close-range blast of raw shell power. Nathan regarded her without expression, marking the similarities she shared with General Connor.

_Like mother, like son_, he mused.

"I'm not here to harm any of you. I was sent here by John. I am not your enemy."

"Yeah, and what the hell is gonna make us believe that any time soon?"

Nathan frowned at the feral female, surprised by her ferocity.

"Why wouldn't you? I haven't attacked you. I saved John from the other one. What more proof do you need?"

Derek shoved his gun in Nathan's face, inches away from his nose.

"You wanna know something about that metal you just blasted? The bitch has been living with us for almost a year now, learning all our secrets, all our plans. And now she's decided to go loco on us… again. So what makes you think we're just gonna accept that you're one of the good guys? Scratch that; there are no _good _machines, with the exception of dead ones."

Nathan felt rather amused by Derek's passionate display of mingled hate and revulsion. He had encountered this kind of behaviour before, but not from any single individual. _This one has charisma_, he mused.

"A dead machine is useless, so how can it be any good to anyone? Never mind. Whether you believe my intent or not, it's irrelevant. You can't hurt me, I'm fully armoured against anything you might throw at me. The most you'd be able to do is destroy my infiltration sheath, and that would only succeed in aggravating me, and I wouldn't advise that."

Sarah placed the barrel of her shotgun against the side of Nathan's head and cocked it, loading a shell into the chamber.

"Why are you here? What is your mission?"

"My mission… is to terminate Jason Corvain."

"So what the hell are you doing here?"

"John, future John, instructed me to seek you out as he deduced that Jason would attempt to terminate his younger self. You're my best bet at finding him. I-950s are slippery at best."

Sarah slowly paced around him, keeping her gun within contact with his skull.

"How long have you been watching us?"

"At this location; three days, sixteen hours, and thirty-three minutes. Thirty-four minutes."

"And how did you know Cameron was attacking John?"

"I was watching the house with thermal imaging. I saw them lying on the bed together and then John started to kick erratically."

Sarah glanced into the living room where John was sat with his back to them, facing the corner of the room, staring at a row of photographs that belonged to the previous tenants. Tearing her eyes away from her grieving son, Sarah glared at Nathan, gripping the shotgun tighter.

"Okay, say I were to believe your story; what assurance can you give me that you won't go ape-shit and kill us all in our sleep?"

"Sarah, you can't possib-"

"Shut it, Derek! Answer the question."

Derek placed a hand over his mouth and stared at Sarah as if she were going insane. _Dissention amongst the ranks_, Nathan observed, _Sarah is the dominant female, interesting…_

"If I wanted any of you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation. My target is Jason, no one else."

Sarah considered him carefully, her finger tightening on the trigger for a moment before loosening her hold and lowering the shotgun. Derek was incredulous, but he knew that arguing with Sarah now would be like convincing a hungry crocodile not to grab the nearest buffalo, and so he remained silent.

_Current Threat Level: NONE_

_Suggested Action: PATROL PERIMETER_

"I'll go and check the perimeter then."

Nathan made to leave but Derek stood in his way, his gun arm twitching slightly.

"Uh-uh, no way, you stay inside. Watch from the windows or something, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Nathan regarded him closely for a moment before shrugging.

"Right, whatever you say."

Derek was taken aback by his compliance but continued to eye him closely as he stood next to the kitchen window, silently scanning the darkness. Sarah slowly turned away from the cyborg and the soldier, focusing her attention on John, who hadn't moved an inch. She slowly approached him and sat on the arm of the nearest chair at an angle to see his face, which was completely blank, save for the slightest flicker of sadness that Sarah knew to be the tip of a rather large iceberg.

She let out a deep sigh, bracing herself for "the talk", and stared at the purple hand-shaped bruise around his neck.

"John, I need you to tell me what happened."

John blinked, but otherwise made no indication that he could hear a word she said.

"Was it sudden or did she start to show… John, please, talk to me."

But he wouldn't, he couldn't. He was only vaguely aware of her presence, his mind lost in that black darkness of utter despair and misery.

"John? John… Johnny?"

John let out a breath and his expression softened ever so slightly.

"I can hear you, Mom."

Sarah winced at the sound of his voice, which was so hoarse that it was almost demonic.

"Tell me what happened, John."

John blinked several times before answering, his voice as flat and unemotional as the machine's.

"I was helping her remove some bullets… Then we talked and… she just… just grabbed me. I don't know why, she just did."

"So you think she's reverted again."

"I don't know what to think. She tried to kill me, just when things were…"

Sarah narrowed her eyes at him, detecting the disquiet behind his blank features.

"What? John? When things were what?"

John slowly shook his head, staring at the floor.

"Nothing, it's private."

Sarah frowned at her son, fearing the meaning behind his words. Nathan had mentioned that he saw John and Cameron lying on the bed together, but doing what? Upon closer examination, Sarah could see the faint smudge of gloss on his lips, and her question was answered for her.

"Were you kissing?"

John froze, his eyes glued to the floor, determined not to look up and meet his mother's gaze.

"John, answer me; did you kiss her?"

"Say what?!"

Sarah glanced up to see Derek standing there, aghast at what he was hearing.

"John, I swear to God, if what your mother's saying is true…"

"What?"

John suddenly rose to his feet, meeting his uncle's gaze with a look of such intensity that Sarah expected him to burst into flames at any moment.

"What do you swear?"

His voice, as deep and ragged as it sounded before, was nothing compared to the rumble that escaped his lips now. Sarah was truly intimidated by her son's manner and feared what he might do next. If Derek was scared, he didn't show it, and squared up to his nephew.

"If you're trying to get into that metal bitch's pants, I'm gonna-"

But for the second time this night, Derek's sentence was cut short by a strong blow to his jaw, staggering him backwards as John stormed past and disappeared up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door behind him. Sarah winced at the sound and glared at Derek.

"As if provoking him is going to help anyone."

Derek flexed his jaw, hearing it click several times with the movement.

"It helps me."

--

The sun was an unwelcome visitor this morning, as it reminded him too much of the way her skin glowed in the sunlight, the way her hair would shimmer and shine, the way her smile would blind him with its intensity, they way she would pour into his thoughts, drowning out everything but herself. John stared up at the ceiling, gently massaging his neck, part of him wishing she had killed him instantly. He had lost her again. No, not lost, to say that would imply he was to blame. He wasn't, because he hadn't lost her. She was stolen from him.

Jason.

Who else would know how to screw with her head? Who else could've removed her chip and messed with it? He was responsible for it all, and he would pay the price for taking her away from him, John would make sure of it, just as he did with Sarkissian. _No one attacks those I love_, he told himself. He would have his revenge, but first things first. He needed to figure out a way to save Cameron first, no matter the cost. He couldn't just destroy her as his Mom and Derek would want, it wasn't her fault. She could still be saved.

John laid his hand on the warm mattress, the same mattress that had supported her naked frame just hours previously. The sheets that he'd wrapped around himself, the same sheets that she had used to cover her modesty. He could still smell her, she was still near, and the sun's rays felt like her gentle touch. He closed his eyes, letting himself believe that she was there with him, those brown eyes watching over him lovingly. She did love him, and still does. He could feel her pain as she squeezed his throat; it was killing her to do it.

John opened his eyes, but she wasn't there, only the smart-ass face of an 8 year-old boy named Marty Bedell.

"Hey. You seen Cameron? I checked the whole house but she isn't here. I wanted to ask her something."

John looked away, not wanting to deal with the rodent at this particular moment, but Marty wasn't to be deterred.

"Johhhhnnn? I'm taaallllking to youuuu."

"Look, just bugger off, will you. I'm not in the mood."

"Not until you tell me where Cameron is."

John sighed and covered his eyes with his hand as tears started to leak again.

"She's gone, alright! She turned bad and now she's gone! Does that answer your question!?"

Marty's face fell instantly, his lower lip trembling slightly.

"No… No she's good. She's good; she won't ever go bad again. She promised, remember."

John discreetly wiped the tears away with his thumb and removed his hand to see Marty looking exactly how he felt.

"She… She told me… I thought she was… a … a … a good person… she…"

John couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming pity for the boy and put his own grief aside for a moment to pull the little guy into a comforting hug, something they both needed right now.

"It's okay, kiddo. It's not her fault. She's still good inside. We just have to find a way to bring her back."

"How're we gonna do that?"

"I don't know… but we'll find a way…"

John let go of Marty and gave him a forced smile.

"…I promise."

--

Mid-Afternoon

Calabasas (Calabasas Golf and Country Club)

Jeffrey potted his ball with expert precision, winning him the game with only five moves left. He smiled smugly at his opponent and twirled his club triumphantly.

"Best two out of three, Harold, eh?"

Harold pointed his club at Jeffrey like an accusing finger.

"I'm still not convinced you didn't reposition that sand trap shot."

"Oh please, don't be a sore loser. That's very bad form, you know."

Harold opened his mouth to answer, only for his reply to be drowned by the sudden spark of lightning as a sphere of light to emerge out of nowhere, materialising right over the hole, melting the ground into a perfect semi circle as the sphere burned into existence. Harold and Jeffrey looked on in wonder as a naked man stumbled out of the sphere and landed in heap at their feet. The time sphere dissipated and faded away, leaving a small crater in its place.

They stared, jaws thoroughly dropped, as the man scanned his surroundings before looking up at them both with a blank expression. He regarded them closely before crossing his legs and sitting where he lay, staring at nothing in particular as Harold and Jeffrey struggled to find the appropriate response for such a strange occurrence.

"Well I'll be a son of a bi-…"

--

Mid-Afternoon

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

It didn't take him long to find Nathan, though John was surprised that Derek had let him out of his sight. The machine was standing several yards away from the house, his keen eyes scanning the surrounding area like a hawk searching for its next meal. John wasted no time in getting his attention, standing directly in his line of sight, his arms crossed together.

"I have questions."

"Of course you do."

"Firstly, what model are you?"

Nathan looked back at the house for a moment before answering.

"Series 999, Model 973, I'm an advanced infiltration and heavy combat specialist."

"And what's the deal with the red lightning?"

Nathan flexed his fingers and gave a small shrug.

"I'm powered by a miniature plasma reactor, which I can draw upon to release a burst of plasma energy, but as you can see; there are side effects."

Nathan held up his right hand and John noticed for the first time that his finger tips were burnt off, revealing the metal beneath.

"Why did I send you back in particular?"

"You wanted to make sure the job was done. No mistakes, no errors. Plus I was the only one present at the time."

_So I sent you back upon a snap decision, I guess I'm not one for pre-meditative thought in the future_, he mused.

"So you're here to kill Jason. Is that it? Kill him and end of story?"

"Once my primary mission is complete I will endeavour to help you in destroying Skynet."

"Good, but I'm not worried about that at the moment. I have something else I need your help with."

Nathan turned to face him properly, mirroring John's stance and crossing his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Cameron. You want me to help you recover her."

"Yes. Will you?"

"No."

John hadn't been expecting such an offhand rejection like that, especially not from a machine.

"Why the hell not?"

"My mission is very clear: terminate Jason Corvain. Until that directive is complete, I cannot and will not aid in any other endeavours."

"Wha-? So if we kill Jason tomorrow, will you help me then?"

"No."

John felt the rush of blood in his ears upon hearing Nathan's irrational refusal and had to bite back hard on his anger in order to get a rational explanation out of him.

"Why not?"

"She is a liability. She cannot be trusted. And she is no longer necessary now that I am here. She's outdated."

John gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists and beginning to shake. Nathan took note of his elevated aggression and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"She will never be outdated or useless to me! Do you understand?!"

Nathan simply shrugged, meeting John's fiery stare with a cold one of his own.

"You're too emotionally attached to a construct not of your own species. Nor is she, it, alive in any sense of the word, unless you want to get metaphysical about it."

"And what if I am? She means a lot to me, more than anyone can possibly understand. I will not abandon her or let anyone harm her."

"Then you will have to restrain me because I will show no quarter should she come for you again. I will destroy her on sight."

John took a full step closer, entering Nathan's personal space, sizing him up as if he were a simple human.

"You lay a finger on her and I will kill you myself. Because unlike her, I don't give a piss about you, nor do I care if you're more advanced. My only care is for her, and her alone. You're expendable, do you hear me?"

Jason tilted his head slightly to one side and smiled slyly as he calculated a response, but something else caught his attention instead and he looked beyond John, his eyes glossing over as he processed the new information. John frowned at Nathan's distraction, not knowing whether he was attempting to subvert him or ignore him altogether.

"Hey. What're you looking at?"

Nathan snapped out of his reverie and regarded John with an expression of amusement.

"Something very interesting has just happened."

"Really and what's that?"

"We have a new arrival."

--

Mid-Afternoon

Calabasas (Calabasas Golf and Country Club)

John stepped out of the car, already bored by their little sojourn; he didn't want to waste his time investigating an alleged displacement, he wanted to find Cameron and help her. He wanted her back, the pain of her absence already eating away at him from the inside out. Nathan didn't care, however, and stood at John's side, indifferent to his obvious discomfort.

"So what can we expect? Machine or man, man or machine?"

"It's impossible to tell at the moment, maybe both. I'm curious to find out."

Nathan proceeded to the entrance where several affronted gentleman were nattering away about the scandal in their fifth pitch. _As if they haven't go better things to do_, John thought. Nathan led him straight into the lobby and approached the man at the desk, who looked just as put-out as his clientele.

"Hi there, I heard you got a guy in your court."

The man stared at Nathan suspiciously, his eyes flicking to John for a brief moment before returning to the Triple-9.

"How did you hear about that, sonny?"

"Oh, I'm ashamed to say I know the man. He's a cousin, off his medication, but don't worry; me and my brother will remove him without further ado."

The man looked thoroughly relieved and let out a dramatic sigh, making John's eyes roll in exasperation.

"Ah, that would be much appreciated, good lad. Go right ahead, and err, do be sure to keep him away from this property in the future."

Nathan smiled and gave the man a small wink before turning to John, cocking his head in the direction of the back door, indicating that that was their route. John followed tiredly as Nathan marched out onto the open golf field, not wasting any time in locating the displacement patch. John had seen patches like this too many times to count and was unimpressed, although the precision was notably perfect. Nathan analysed the patch carefully, and turned to a nearby golfer.

"Where is the man in question?"

"In the changing rooms, putting on some clothes I believe."

"Thank you."

Nathan once again led John, taking him to the changing rooms which was otherwise unoccupied, except for a lone man who sat rigidly on a bench, wearing borrowed clothes that in no way matched his appearance. John looked him over carefully; he was no older than someone in their mid twenties and had dirty-blond hair with dark green eyes. He stared back at them both, blank, unresponsive, like a child. John opened his mouth to ask his name but Nathan leapt forward and grasped the man by the shoulders, slamming him against the wall.

The man retaliated in kind, but lacked the strength to break Nathan's grip and was subsequently ploughed through a cubicle as a result. He quickly got to his feet, however, and delivered a direct kick to Nathan's chest, making him stop in his tracks, but not stagger. Nathan took out the man's legs and splayed his fingers again, delivering a massive blast into the man's face, knocking him out cold.

"Threat neutralised. Interesting…"

"What?"

John looked down at the man, guessing that he wasn't actually a man.

"This is an older model. Very old. A 700 series. Why would Skynet ever send one of these back in time?"

"You got me. Who knows why Skynet does anything. Maybe he was sent here by accident."

"Unlikely. I guess we'll never know."

Nathan reached out to crush the T-700's skull, but John was struck by a sudden inspiration and grabbed Nathan's wrist.

"He didn't attack on sight. He might be of some use to us."

Nathan frowned at him, not seeing how a defunct model could possibly serve any purpose.

"How so?"

"I dunno, his chip might have valuable data on it or something, you never know."

Nathan considered him carefully for a moment before nodding.

"I suppose you're right. We'll remove his chip and incinerate his body, but first we need to get him out of here."

"Fine, whatever, but you're carrying him."

--

Early evening

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

"So you're taking in strays now?"

John looked up to see his mother glaring at him and the disabled T-700. He rolled his eyes and tapped further into the machine's CPU, finding no directives, no current mission, and no orders of any kind, except to follow the commands of any authoritive figure.

"He's a blank slate, Mom. No pre-programming. Nathan says he's must've been decommissioned before any orders could be assigned."

"Really? Then why is he active?"

"That's what I'm about to find out."

John removed the bronze-coloured chip from his USB port and, to Sarah's surprise, stuck it back inside the T-700's skull.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Nathan poked his head around the corner and frowned at John, realising what he was doing.

"You said you weren't going to reactivate it."

"I lied."

The T-700's eyes fluttered open, a dull red glow briefly emanating from within. He blinked a few times before looking around, immediately tensing at the sight of Nathan. John stood between them and held his hands open, attempting to deescalate the situation before metal started flying every which-a-way.

"Hey, hey, it's cool. Calm down, we're not gonna hurt you, we're not your enemies."

The T-700 peered around him to get a look at Nathan, who was scrutinizing John closely.

"He is. He tried to terminate me."

The T-700's speech was simple and plain, again reminding John of a child. _In many ways, he is_, John thought.

"That was just a misunderstanding. Everything's cool now."

The T-700's eyes darted across the room, obvious confusion clouding his stoic features.

"The temperature in this room is above thirty degrees."

John would've laughed, had the world not thrown him a short one. In fact, his childlike ignorance only reminded him of Cameron even more. Many a time would she ask an obvious question, though he would likewise be unable to properly explain it to her. John felt that ache again and had to use all of his will to keep from breaking down again.

"What is your mission?"

"I have no mission."

"Do you want one?"

The T-700 regarded him for a moment before answering, with a small hint of eagerness to his voice.

"Yes."

John nodded slowly and decided to go for some clarity.

"How did you end up here, in this time, did Skynet send you?"

"No. I was decommissioned before I was ever activated and left in cold storage. Then the facility was attacked, and Skynet called upon all forces to defend the base. I was caught in an explosion whilst defending a TDE chamber. I fell into the portal by accident and was sent through instead of the X Series."

Nathan whistled, surprising them all, a small smirk on his face.

"Well I guess he's already proven himself useful. If it wasn't for his gaucherie, you would most likely have a T-X on your tail, and not even I can defeat one of those."

John was tempted to ask about this "T-X" but decided against it and turned back to the T-700.

"Okay look; you're not programmed to kill me, so that's keeping you alive right now, understand?"

The T-700 nodded, indifferent to the hidden death threat buried in John's words.

"So if you follow my orders, and mine alone, to the letter; I'll give you a mission. Deal?"

"Deal."

Sarah looked from John, to Nathan, to the T-700, and back to John, incredulous with the plethora of events that just swirled around her. Cameron had turned against them again, John was secretly in love with the machine, a new model saved his life, and an old one is being offered a job. _What next_, she wondered.

--

_She is perfect._

John poured all of his buried feelings, all of his conscious and subconscious love into her body, his lips serving as the conduit. He gently stroked her neck, eliciting small gasps of pleasure as she became lost to his caress. He slid his hand across her apple and gave a gentle squeeze. She giggled at first, but as his grip tightened, she started to gurgle and her eyes shot open in terror. He stared down at her dispassionately and watched her struggle against him, tears streaming her eyes as she desperately tried to break free.

It wasn't long before she stopped struggling, before her legs ceased kicking and her entire body became limp beneath his palm. He brushed a thick lock of hair out of her face and smiled at her lifeless form, his glowing red eyes reflecting in her once human brown.

--

"NO!! CAMERON!! NO GOD!!"

John awoke screaming, his sheets drenched with his own sweat. For a moment he was still trapped within the nightmare but as he took several deep and steadying breaths, John came back to reality, but the memory of the nightmare had followed him. He sat up and buried his face in his hands, sobbing without restraint. He needed her so much right now; he wanted to hold her again, to smell the calming aroma of her hair. Only her presence could sooth the pain that he had tried all day to suppress.

He wiped the tears from his eyes, but kept his face hidden. Sarah wanted her dead, Derek wanted her dead, Nathan wanted her dead, and only he wanted her alive. But even if he were to somehow capture her, would he be able to undo the damage done to her, or would she remain as she is, forever bent on killing him? Would he be forced to euthanize her? Could he do it?

John forced himself to look around the room, everything obscured in darkness, and half hoping that she might emerge from the shadows, even if it meant his imminent death. At this point, he no longer cared, so long as he got to hold her one last time. It took him a moment to realise that he was being watched and almost gave out a cry of surprise when he spotted Nathan staring at him out of the darkness of the hallway. He continued to watch him for several long seconds before disappearing downstairs.

If Sarah and Derek didn't get to her first, then Nathan would surely kill Cameron in their stead. But he would never allow that, which is why having a simple-minded machine at hand is useful. The T-700 would obey any order given to him by John, no matter the circumstance, which would be nothing short of invaluable when the time came.

John wiped away the last of his tears. The time for games and childish crying was over. He had to track down Jason and kill him, and then he'd need to rescue Cameron from herself, because he knew… he'd seen it in her eyes… she still loved him, and that was all that sustained him. As John tried to bury his face into his pillow, desperate to leave the day behind, his cell phone suddenly vibrated on his bedside table. He snatched it up without hesitation and flipped it open, shoving it against his ear so hard it hurt.

"Cameron?"

"…John?"

_To be continued…_


	7. Confliction

**Chapter 07: Confliction**

Late Evening

Van Nuys (Apartment Block 172)

Jason checked his chronometer again as he loaded the last bullet into his new-found friend, the Jericho 941, otherwise known as the "Baby Eagle". After letting Cameron go about her business, Jason had decided to stock up on a few essential supplies, not least of which included a new gun, his old 9mm having jammed one time too many. Though Jason, as a rule, had no care for any material possession, this weapon was the exception. Being powerful, accurate, and discreet, unlike its "father model" the Desert Eagle.

Jason had just slid the clip into the grip when he heard a sharp creak outside the door and froze, attuning his ears to the noise. A moment's silence passed; whoever was outside had stopped at his door. Jason thumbed back the hammer and flattened himself against the wall, ordering the poly-alloy to blend him with its surface, effectively making him invisible assuming they don't look too close.

The door opened and a petite figure stood in its frame, silently scanning the dimly lit surroundings of the Spartan apartment. She stepped onto the threshold, the lamp light revealing those familiar features, which were marred by several small cuts and a fair amount of dirt. Cameron looked from right to left, even glancing at the ceiling briefly before closing the door behind her.

"I know you're here, Jason."

She would find him eventually, and Jason saw no reason to drag out the inevitable, so he stepped forward; weapon raised and camouflage returning to his default clothing. Jason aimed at eye level, ready to fire a round in each one at the slightest warning. Cameron watched him carefully, studying his posture and stress levels, determining that he was all too ready to pull the trigger. Some reassurance was required.

"It's okay, Jason. I'm not here as your enemy."

"Then what are you here as?"

Cameron gave him the smallest of smiles, one he recognised all too well.

"It's me, Jason."

Jason narrowed his eyes at her, a brief scan showing that she'd recently suffered electrical damage from an unknown source. But he put aside the statistics and looked with his eyes, not his mind, and saw the Cameron who stood beside him against John and his men in 2027.

"Cameron? That really you, or is all this just a trick? Did John send you?"

Cameron shook her head, dust and dirt falling from her unkempt hair, along with a twig or two. Jason slowly lowered his gun and considered her closely for a second before turning it over and holding it out for her to take. She took it gently, without any force, and turned it around in her other hand before handing it back again. Satisfied, Jason took it from her and holstered it, a smile touching his lips for the first time in ages.

"Welcome back."

"It's good to be back."

"I'll bet. So… you wouldn't happen to have some good news for me, would you?"

Cameron gave him an apologetic smile and tugged at her hair pointedly.

"I wasn't successful. John has a new protector, one with built-in plasma weaponry; I was forced to retreat."

Jason remained stoic on the outside, but on the inside he was screaming in frustrated rage. Cameron seemed to detect his dissatisfaction and tilted her head to one side, a sullen expression crossing her features.

"It wasn't easy for me. I almost killed him and I felt… It hurts. Why does it hurt?"

Jason quelled his internal pandemonium to consider her question, which was a thoroughly baffling one coming from a machine. _She's not your average machine_, he reminded himself.

"That depends. What do you… feel… for him, exactly?"

Still, asking her what she _felt_ was still a little out of the ordinary for Jason. Cameron furrowed her brow as she calculated her "feelings" for John, only to be met with more confusion upon reflection.

"It doesn't match anything in my records. But it's strong and… I… I don't want to hurt him, but I know I must, and it hurts."

She gave him a pitying expression of incomprehension, the result (he deduced) of her programming clashing with her feelings.

"You're devoted to him, yes?"

"Utterly."

"Then what you're feeling is a conflict between your… love… for him and your mission. You have to kill him, but because you love him, it hurts. It's called emotional attachment, Cameron. In order to complete your mission, to which you are bound, you must commit that sacrifice of feeling. When you terminate him, it will agonise you, but your purpose will be fulfilled. It's a double-edged sword."

Cameron stared past his shoulder as she took in his words, a smile flicker of a smile on her lips.

"Thank you for explaining. You are a lot more knowledgeable than I recall."

Jason smirked and leaned against the chair, his arms crossing together.

"Well you know us cyborgs…"

"We don't sleep."

"We don't sleep."

A second's silence passed at their unison and then Jason broke into laughter and Cameron smiled widely, a small giggle escaping her. Jason shook his head and stared at the floor, smiling to himself as the presence of _his_ Cameron sunk in, dispelling his previous depressions. So she failed her mission at the first try, so there's an advanced model between him and John, none of this mattered because Cameron was at his side once again. As far as Jason was concerned, all was right with the world.

Once his laughter had subsided, Jason looked her up and down, noticing the extent of her rough appearance.

"You might wanna take a look at yourself in a mirror, there's a shower in the other room that you can use. I'll pop out and get you some clean clothes, okay."

Cameron nodded and disappeared into the bathroom without another word, closing the door for privacy that Jason had assumed she wouldn't need or value. Hearing the rush of water and sensing the rising temperature, Jason picked up his coat and keys, locking the door behind him before proceeding down the bare corridor and into the lift. As he waited for it to finish its torturously slow descent, Jason began formulating a plan to draw John out of hiding, his mind abuzz with possibilities, all of them kept in order by his neural net.

The lift ground to an unexpected halt and opened at level 2 as opposed to the ground floor. Jason tapped the button a few times but received no response, so with an annoyed sigh; he stepped out of the lift and proceeded down the corridor to the staircase. He jumped the first flight, landing on level 1 and was about to jump to the ground floor when he heard a shrill cry for help. Curiosity getting the better of him, Jason peered through the glass of the nearby door to see a man trying to force himself onto a woman.

Normally he'd just carry on without a care, but this woman had brown hair, similar to Cameron's, and that similarity, regardless of how small, prompted him to take action. He burst through the door and delivered a single strike to the man's chest, sending him flying down the corridor. He followed up with a busting kick to his privates, earning an excruciating groan of agony from the man. The woman gathered her handbag and scurried away without a single word of thanks. Jason watched her leave with a slight frown.

"No really, it was nothing. Just happy to help, there's no need to thank me or anything. Honestly, some people, eh?"

The man groaned in reply and Jason brushed aside his annoyance as he purposely stepped on the man's fingers before going his way.

--

An hour later

Cameron reached out for the nozzle and gave it a twist, reducing the flow of water until it became little more than a dribble, the result of poorly maintained pipes. She pulled her hair back, gathering it together in a ponytail as she squeezed out the excess water, feeling it drip down her back. She paused, following a single drop as it weaved its way down her leg and onto the tiled floor where it merged with a larger puddle. Realising her lapse, Cameron turned her attention back to drying her hair and pulled the curtain back…

…only to find Jason standing there holding a towel, his eyes fixed on her face, not wandering anywhere else. She took the towel from him and wrapped it around herself, after which he smiled slyly.

"I got you some clothes."

He inclined his head to a pile on a stool to his right.

"I'll leave you to change in private."

"Thank you."

Jason turned to leave, but as he placed his hand on the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder at her.

"About that…?"

"I learned long ago that modesty is important."

Jason smiled and nodded before leaving, closing the door behind him. Cameron watched it for several seconds before picking up another towel and drying her arms and face, her stagnant thoughts drifting back to her encounter with John. She was intrigued by his behaviour that day and was overcome by the desire to understand the reasons behind his squeamishness, only to discover that she had touched upon a painful memory for him.

She had whispered her apology to him in his sleep, a genuine, heart-felt apology. She cared about him so much, and she was going to kill him the next time they meet. She would have to play upon his emotions in order to get close enough. She knew it would work, but that didn't mean she relished the thought of deceiving him in that way. _Death by love, the kindest method_, she mused.

Cameron let the towel covering her body drop to the floor and began scrubbing her torso and legs, drying them with efficiency beyond any ordinary girl. Once finished, she hung the towels up to dry and examined the clothing Jason had bought her, intrigued by his knowledge of her preferences. He'd bought her some deep purple underwear, white cotton socks, black tight-fitting jeans and matching jacket, as well as a camo-top. She slipped into the attire with little difficulty, Jason having acquired all the right sizes.

Fully clothed, she opened the bathroom door, a comb in hand, and began getting rid of the knots that had accumulated during her hasty escape from the Connor residence. Jason was sat in an armchair, examining his gun carefully; occasionally popping the clip out and slapping it back in again. Cameron watched him for a moment before sitting down in an adjacent chair, with no thoughts for conversation.

Jason continued removing and replacing the clip for several minutes before speaking, breaking the silence between them.

"So… this other machine; what more can you tell me about it?"

Cameron accessed her visual and sensory data, displaying her deep scan of the model in her HUD.

"He was a small frame model, endoskeletal structure does not match anything in my records, and he possessed the ability to release a blast of plasma energy from the fingers on his right hand."

Jason nodded, linking his hands together as he ran through a list of possible matches, but needed a little more to go on.

"Describe his endoskeleton."

"It was heavily armoured with none of the servos or circuitry exposed."

Jason added this to the previous data and pin-pointed the exact Series to which she referred.

"Ah yes, the Tee Triple Nine. Well that figures; trust John to send an advanced model now, when we're so close to winning."

"We must avoid a direct confrontation."

Jason gave her an expression that told her she'd just stated the obvious.

"Well unfortunately that can't be avoided. Triple-nine's are notoriously difficult to outwit, we're just going to have to work together to destroy him. John should be easy enough. Do you want the honours or shall I?"

Cameron stopped combing and stared at the floor dejectedly.

"I'll do it, I own him that much."

Jason raised an eyebrow inquisitively and leaned forward in his chair.

"You _owe_ him?"

Cameron met his gaze and continued her combing.

"He has such a terrible future ahead of him. I can spare him from that, and I will, I owe him some peace."

Jason leaned back again and regarded her carefully, a small smile on his lips as he quoted:

" 'And lo, the boy looked upon the face of beauty, and beauty stayed his hand. And from that day forward, he was as one dead.' "

Cameron stared at him in confusion.

"It's a modified quote, Cameron; it means I know how to lure him to his death."

"Oh, thank you for explaining. How will we lure him?"

Jason removed a phone from his pocket, her phone, and flipped it open before holding it out for her to take.

"Call him, tell him how much you need him, and don't lie about it. Be genuine. Get him to meet you in a secluded location."

Cameron took the phone from him and stared at it for a long moment before entering John's number.

"This will work better without any distractions."

Jason took the hint and gestured to the bedroom. Cameron entered and closed the door behind her, shutting out the light from the lounge and separating herself from Jason. Once convinced that he was not standing by the door, Cameron approached the bed and sat down, pressing the dial button. Six beeps later and it was ringing, once, twice, thrice, four times before the line was picked up and she heard his voice once more.

"Cameron?"

She took a moment to calculate the best tack before replying, adding a hint of emotion to her voice that was not entirely fabricated.

"John?"

--

Late Evening

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

John's heart was pounding in his chest, threatening to burst straight through his ribcage, the product of mixed fear and relief at hearing her voice again, her tone of anxiety obvious even to him. He took a deep breath, his hand shaking slightly and his palms becoming instantly sweaty.

"C-Cameron… W-Where are you?"

A moment's pause followed.

"I'm… safe. But I haven't much time."

"What? What are you…?"

"I'm damaged, John. I-I won't last much longer, I… Help me… help me, please… John?"

John closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, brutally beating his brain into remembering her knack for trickery.

"H-How am I supposed to believe a word you're saying? You tried to kill me, remember."

She went silent for a moment before emitting a small sob and John felt his heart clench at the sound.

"I'm sorry… It was Jason, he… he… did something to me, I couldn't control myself…"

John envisioned Jason tinkering with her chip and felt his blood boil.

"Okay, it's okay, I forgive you, but you have to tell me one thing; if I find you, can you stop yourself from attacking me again?"

"I-I think so… but I can't… I… I don't know how long I can last… My systems are shutting down, John… Please help me."

John held the phone against his chest, muffling her cries for him, and choked on his own tears for a moment before placing the phone back against his ear, wiping away the tears with his free hand.

"J-Just tell me where I can find you, okay."

"I'm in an old basement, somewhere in Van Nuys, you know the old school?"

"You mean the one that burned down last year?"

"Yes, that one, I'm there. You can find me there. Please hurry, John. I can't last for much longer."

John drew a shuddering breath and pressed the phone to his lips.

"I'm coming Cam, I promise. Just hold on, okay."

The line went dead, replacing her voice with the dull whine of a broken connection. John snapped his phone shut and buried his face in his hands for a moment, allowing the raw emotion consume him for a moment before wrenching back his composure and wiping the tears away again. He was shaking all over, amazed at the extent to which her call had affected him.

If she was to be believed, Cameron was badly damaged by Nathan's assault, though how she'd gotten all the way to Van Nuys was beyond him. John was not a complete idiot though, and he knew that this was almost definitely a trap, though he couldn't know for sure if she was actually dying or not. Either way, he wasn't going to risk it by ignoring her. In one swift movement, John threw his sheets off of him and got dressed in a flash, gathering his essential screwdriver and favourite 9mm.

He peered out of his door and listened intently for the sound of Sarah's rustling, Derek's snoring, and Marty's mumbling. Hearing all three, John tip-toed downstairs and almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Timmy waiting for him at the bottom. The cat stared up at him and gave him an accusatory meow.

"What? Shoo. Go on. Get."

The cat gave him another meow before stalking off into the kitchen where the T-700 was standing like a statue, staring out of the window as ordered. He was so devoted to his task that though he knew John was there, he didn't break his sight from the window for a single second. John smirked at the simple machine and proceeded into the living room to retrieve Sarah's shotgun, which she had left on the coffee table. Satisfied that it was fully-loaded, John put on his boots and gathered the keys before heading out the front door.

He unlocked the car and got inside, placing the shotgun in the passenger seat and checked the rear-view mirror, once again jumping out his skin when he caught Nathan's reflection in the back seat.

"JESUS! GOD! Wha-?! What the hell are you doing in here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. Little late for a drive, don't you think?"

John sighed in frustration, trying to steady his heart rate before he suffered an aneurism. Nathan studied him carefully, taking note of the shotgun and coming to one conclusion.

"You're going after her, aren't you?"

John glared over his shoulder at him, finding his perception to be all-the-more annoying with each passing moment. There would be no point in lying to him, and he might actually prove useful, so long as he understood the score.

"Okay, look; Cameron just called me. She says you damaged her and needs my help. She told me to meet her at the old school in Van Nuys, and before you say it; yes, I do know it's a trap. You can either help me or not, your choice, but I'm going regardless. Understand?"

Nathan got out of the car and opened the passenger seat, grabbing the shotgun as he sat in the seat and slammed the door shut.

"If she's there, Jason will likely be close behind. Drive. But remember, if she proves too much trouble than she's worth, I will destroy her."

John shoved the key into the ignition and gave it a twist, bringing the engine to life.

"Not if I disable her first."

--

1:32am

Van Nuys (Apartment Block 172)

Cameron emerged from the bedroom, wiping the tears from her face as she pocketed the phone. Jason got to his feet and waited silently for her report. She took a moment to feel the twinge of disgust for herself at having manipulated John in that way, she really hated having to drag this out. The sooner she killed him, the sooner she could end her sorry existence and share his fate.

"It's done. He'll meet us in the old school."

--

2:13am

Van Nuys (The Old School)

The car screeched to a halt outside the dilapidated building, the old library being the only part of the school still standing. Nathan craned his neck to look at the sign above the double door entrance, reading the Latin inscription upon it.

"So this is the school. I was expecting something a little more… intact."

John snorted and pulled the clutch before getting out, shotgun in hand. Nathan followed suite and scanned the building, detecting a humanoid shape in the basement. He raised an eyebrow and turned to John, who was tapping the shotgun absent-mindedly.

"She's in there, alright; the basement to be exact."

"Any sign of Jason?"

Nathan scanned the building once more, detecting no one else present.

"He's not here."

"That doesn't mean he isn't around."

John gripped the gun tightly and stepped up to the door, pushing it open with the barrel, allowing Nathan to enter and safety-check the immediate room. He gave John a flick of the wrist, indicating the all-clear, and he stepped inside, shotgun raised and ready. They proceeded like this through every room until finally reaching the rear of the building and the door to the basement below. Nathan smashed the door down, sending it cascading down the stairs. John gave him an incredulous look, but Nathan just shrugged and started the decent.

John followed him down, switching his torch on as the darkness took hold. Through the narrow beam of light, John could tell that the basement was as large as the entire library above, with several stacks of old and dusty books, not to mention the odd dozen bookshelves. Unlike John, Nathan could see perfectly well in the pitch black and immediately picked up a heat signature coming from behind a shelf to his right. Nathan snapped open a flare and held it high, illuminating the entire room with a blinding white light that settled down to a perfect glow.

He placed the flare on top of a shelf and tapped John on the shoulder, inclining his head to the shelves to his right. John slipped his finger over the trigger and gave it a tiny squeeze, poised to apply the full pressure needed to deliver a blast. A faint rustling sound reached his ears and John tensed. Nathan stood a little behind him, his right hand glowing as he charged his plasma weaponry. John took a single step towards the shelves and immediately stopped when a hand suddenly gripped the side of one.

Cameron emerged from behind the bookcase, looking a little worse for wear, but still as bright as ever, her eyes lighting up upon seeing John. She staggered out into the open, giving an odd twitch, a tired smile on her face. John felt the lump in his throat re-emerge at the sight of her, his mind flashing simultaneously to their kiss and the subsequent throttling that occurred afterwards.

"You came for me."

She stumbled forward and tripped. John instinctively moved to help her but Nathan caught his arm and shook his head in warning. Taking the hint, John pulled away from Cameron and raised the shotgun again, aiming for her head. Cameron staggered back to her feet, eyeing the gun in confusion, a small flicker of hurt in her features.

"John, it's me, remember. I'm won't hurt you, I promised."

"Prove it."

Cameron frowned and looked around at her surroundings.

"How?"

"Let Nathan restrain you so I can remove your chip."

Cameron's eyes flicked to Nathan, who watched her intently with a cold glare.

"He'll destroy me if I let him. I don't wanna go, John."

John gripped the shotgun tighter and took a step back.

"Then how can I trust you?"

"John, it's me. Cameron. You can trust me, you always have."

"Except when you're trying to kill me."

Cameron looked visibly hurt by his rejection and her eyes started to brim with tears. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words escaped her, instead she held out her hand for him to take. John was taken aback by the gesture and felt an overwhelming need to reach out and take it. As if reading his mind, Nathan tightened his grip on John's arm and whispered in his ear.

"It's a trick. Don't forget what she is."

John swallowed Nathan's words and kept his distance from her steely fingers. Cameron simply splayed her fingers to their max and tilted her head to one side, giving John a pitying expression that tore into him, stirring the broken shards that were once his heart. Seeing that he wasn't going to comply, Cameron let out a small wail and collapsed against the bookcase, still reaching out for him as desperate tears rolled down her cheeks.

"John, please. Please help me. I need you. I need you."

John remained rooted to the spot and watched her without expression, determined not to fall for her tricks. But then that little voice in his head finally spoke out; _what if she is telling the truth?_ John swallowed again at the thought as she slid to her knees, her arm stretched as far as it would go. _What if she really is dying and you're just watching it happen? Are you prepared to risk the chance of being wrong? Do you love her enough to give her the benefit of the doubt?_

Nathan could see the conflict in his eyes and gave his arm a rough shake.

"Hey! Come to your senses! She will kill you!"

John lowered the shotgun and pulled himself free from Nathan's grip.

"There's only one way to find out."

Before the Triple-9 could act, John reached out for Cameron's hand, the tips of his fingers brushing hers. She smiled gratefully as he slid his palm onto hers, but as her fingers slowly closed around his hand, Nathan decided that enough was enough and released a blast of red plasma. The blast struck Cameron in the chest and hurled her across the room, smashing into several bookshelves before crashing to the floor, unmoving. John cocked the shotgun and angrily pressed it to Nathan's head, every nerve in his body screaming for him to pull the trigger.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!"

"I did it because you're letting your feelings for her to cloud your judgment. She's playing you. Another second and she would've pulled you close enough to rip your throat out with her teeth."

John struggled with the urge to pull the trigger, but removed the barrel from his head after a long moment, roaring in mixed frustration and annoyance at him self. He looked over at Cameron's inert body and withdrew his screwdriver, but before he could take another step towards her, he was met with the bottom of a boot and pain exploded across his face as he staggered back into Nathan. Before he could make sense of what happened, Nathan roughly threw him aside and he collided with a stack of books, the shotgun slipping from his grip and clattering across the floor, straight into the hands of a now active Cameron.

John cleared his vision, smelling the blood that was steadily dripping from his nose. His pulse raced as he saw Jason up close, struggling against Nathan's grip as the machine ploughed him through a bookcase, giving John a clear view of Cameron. She held the shotgun at her side and watched John for a moment, her head tilted to one side, before raising the weapon and taking aim. With a cry of shock, John dived for cover, the stack of books exploding as the blast tore apart the place he'd occupied only a second earlier.

"Cameron, stop! You don't have to do this, you can fight it! Please fight it!"

She hesitated for a second before firing again, shattering his hiding place to splinters, forcing him to dive elsewhere, drawing his pistol in mid roll. Cameron followed his progress with cold determination, once again firing at him, and once again missing him by inches. John retaliated by firing two rounds into her chest. She paused and examined her wounds with an expression of mild surprise before raising the shotgun again, a flicker of anger on her features.

_Oh… holy… crap_, he thought before bolting across the room, desperately outrunning several frenzied blasts.

--

Jason used his current momentum to roll back to his feet and narrowly dodged a skull-cracking punch from Nathan, countering by grabbing his wrist and sweeping his leg across the machine's, just as he did with Cameron. Unlike Cameron, however, Nathan stood firm and all Jason got for his trouble was a sharp jarring pain to his shin. He staggered back, drawing his blades as Nathan clenched both fists, ready to put them through his head and chest, respectfully.

Jason slashed back and forth, cutting into Nathan's flesh but only creating sparks against the hyper-alloy beneath. Remembering that this model's utilities are protected, Jason retracted his blades and focused on avoiding the Triple-9's punches instead, one of which struck him squarely in the chest, snapping a rib and driving it straight into his left lung. Jason gasped in pain and surprise as his breathing capacity was cut cleanly in half. He quickly quietened the pain and ducked another crushing blow, diving behind a bookcase and hurtling towards the other side of the basement.

Out of nowhere, Jason collided with John and they both crashed to the floor, the wind knocked out of the both of them. Nathan reappeared in a matter of seconds but before he could strike, Cameron leapt forth and slammed him against the wall, Nathan responded by grabbing by the throat and hurling her into a table. Before she could get back to her feet, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her through the debris, leaving John and Jason to recover alone.

John was the first to get to his feet, but Jason was close behind. John wasted no time and squeezed off two rounds into Jason's chest, puncturing his other lung. Jason gasped and swiftly spin kicked the gun from John's hands before landed an open palm strike to his chest. John slammed against the wall with a grunt of pain but his years of combat training came back to him in a torrent of pure adrenaline as he blocked a strike to his face and retaliated with one of his own.

Jason was surprised by his reactions and angrily grabbed John's jacket and pulled him around in a full 360 spin, once again driving him into the wall before hurling him across the room where he collided with the other side. Before the boy could recover, Jason was on him and smashed his head against the wall. John let out another grunt and buried his elbow in Jason's face, causing him to stagger back. He then followed up by kicking the Infiltrator in the mid-section, but Jason once again took the initiative and brushed his leg aside.

John aimed another punch for his face but Jason blocked and countered by grabbing the back of John's neck and pulling forward into a stack of shelves, causing several heavy leather-bound books to fall on top of his head. John let out a roar of pure rage as he swung around with another punch, receiving a jab to his throat in response. While he sputtered at the sudden loss of breath, Jason grabbed the front of his jacket and lifted him off the ground before driving him through the bookcase, straight to the floor.

John coughed up a mouthful of blood as his body screamed in agony; he couldn't win this. Even with both lungs compromised, Jason was still capable of fighting, just like a machine. He was stronger, faster, and overall a much better fighter. John didn't stand much of a chance, but that didn't mean he would just give up, far from it. Jason placed his boot on John's throat and pressed down, but the boy retaliated by driving his screwdriver into Jason's ankle. TheI-950 cried out in agony as John twisted the tool, before ripping it out again. He staggered away and leaned against the wall to catch his breath, allowing John a small respite wherein he too got to his feet.

They eyed each other for a long moment, both awaiting the other's next move. Before either of them could act, however, Cameron came crashing into their midst, her left leg clearly damaged and her right arm dislocated. Nathan appeared instantly and delivered one last blast of plasma to her already crippled form before aiming for Jason. The blast lit up Jason's body like a Christmas tree, his neural net screaming a thousand warnings of danger and damage reports. His two halves cried out incoherently as his neural net went into overdrive:

_Offonoffonburningburningbrightlightburningbrightoffonoffburningburning. _

He slipped into the twilight of semi-consciousness as his neural net performed an emergency shut down, rendering Jason little more than a vegetable until it could reboot. He slid to the floor, apparently dead, and John let out a sigh of relief. Nathan was also convinced that he had successfully fried the Infiltrator's neural net and turned his attention to Cameron, who was starting to stir. He charged up another shot as Cameron looked up at John, reaching out feebly for his touch. Before he could deliver the strike, however, John scooped up the shotgun and blasted Nathan at close range, sending him flying into a stack of shelves.

Jason's eyes flicked red briefly as his neural net came back online and his consciousness was fully restored. He quickly took in his surroundings, seeing Cameron crumpled on the floor and John and Nathan wrestling with each other for control of the shotgun. Jason knew they couldn't possibly win this; the Triple-9 barely had a scratch on him whereas he and Cameron were on the brink of total shutdown. He assessed his mission and decided upon the most prudent action: evasion.

Jason leapt to his feet and smashed the beam above John and Nathan, causing the roof to collapse on top of them both, the latter shielding the former from the debris. Jason wasted no time in grabbing Cameron and dragging her up the stairs, and once out of the basement, he lifted her heftily into his arms and staggered out of the building and straight to their stolen car. He dumped her in the back and jumped behind the wheel, once again speeding away from the scene of another failed assassination attempt, the irony not lost on him as he hammered the dashboard in frustration.

--

Nathan cleared away the rubble and pulled John free from the collapsed beam, but he tore his arm from Nathan's grip and glared at him.

"I TOLD YOU WE WEREN'T GOING TO DESTROY HER!!"

"And I told you I wasn't going to show any lenience! She's a liability, John, and she'll be the death of you! Why can't you see that?"

John took up the shotgun and slammed the butt into Nathan's face. The Triple-9 pinned John against the wall and snatched the shotgun from his grip. John spat a mouthful of blood into Nathan's face, all of his rage and hatred bubbling to the surface; it was easier to hate the machine than him self. Nathan wiped the blood away without expression and let John fall to the floor where he dissolved into tears, clutching his chest as the pain of his injuries caught up with him.

"You… you don't understand… what she… means to me… I can't do this without her…"

Nathan let out a sigh of annoyance and scanned the room, finding no trace of Jason or Cameron; they were gone.

"I need her, do you hear me? I need her!"

"Yeah, I hear you, and do you wanna know what I hear? The ramblings of an illogical human who fails to see the truth when it kicks him in the face. Your feelings for her are what brought you here, straight into a trap. You almost got yourself killed today, where's the logic in that; risking your life for the sake of a machine?"

John slowly got back to his feet, still clutching his chest with murder in his eyes.

"Screw logic. If logic leads to a hollow existence where nothing is ever good and everything certain, then to hell with it, because she's the only good thing I have left. Now I am going to save Cameron, and if you try to destroy her again; I swear I'll tow you to the scrap yard myself."

They both met each other's gaze for a long moment as the full meaning of John's conviction sunk into Nathan's metal skull, causing him to give John a sardonic grin before helping him properly to his feet.

"We'll see."

_To be continued…_


	8. Me, Myself, & John

**Chapter 08: Me, Myself, and John**

Van Nuys (Apartment Block 172)

Cameron gave the screwdriver another twirl before twisting it as far as she could, finally fixing the loose bolt back onto her left knee. She stretched her leg to full length and then drew it back, testing the movement, which was now back to normal. After a moment or two of unnecessary flexing, Cameron stood up and paced the length of the small apartment room. She attuned her ears to pick up the steady rhythm of Jason's breathing as he slept, allowing his neural net a chance to better repair itself. Neither of them had escaped that basement in one piece.

Cameron stopped next to the window and pulled the curtain back to look down at the dull street below, seeing little more than a homeless man pushing his cart across the road. The night was a cold one, which was uncommon in California, but Cameron could feel the noticeable drop in temperature and was a little surprised when her skin started to show goose bumps. She ran a hand across her arm, fascinated by the strange development.

Looking back at the window, she let out a long fabricated breath, misting the glass with her warmth. She then placed a finger on the mist and wrote John's name, her thoughts drifting back to the basement. _My ruse worked; he came for me, fearing that I was on death's door. He must've suspected a trap, how could he not? Yet he still came for me, though the presence of the Triple-9 no doubt helped in that regard_. Cameron stared at his name, finding a small comfort in it, as if he were with her in that room.

She had reached out for his hand, intending for him to take it so that she could pull him into her grip and end his life quickly. A simple trick and not one she expected him to fall for, but he still took her hand in his, and her momentary lapse upon feeling his touch allowed the Triple-9 to get the drop on her. She kept playing the memory over and over in her mind, trying to understand how a human could be so devoted to a machine, especially one that represents his terrible future. Why does he love me?

A small section of her lower-left HUD flickered inexplicably and her mission status came up in her peripheral.

>Mission: TERMINATE JOHN CONNOR

>Error: TERMINATION OVERRIDE

Cameron almost gasped in shock as the override reinstated itself.

>Mission: PROTECT JOHN CONNOR

Her need to kill him dissolved into nothingness as her preferred purpose restructured her desires and thoughts. Her previous aspiration to save him from his fate by euthanizing him was replaced by the need to help him with his trials, to stay by his side through the dark times ahead. Cameron looked around the apartment before locating the door and took one step towards it, ready to return to her John, but her HUD flickered once more.

>Error: OVERRIDE FAILURE

>Mission: TERMINATE JOHN CONNOR

In a complete back pedal, her mind once again reverted to the need to watch John die, knowing that he will be peaceful and safe from further harm. She let out a sigh of mixed relief and sadness, the idea of protecting him becoming little more than a distant echo. Cameron turned back to the window and stared at his name for a long moment before wiping it away.

--

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

"Okay, now this is Timmy. Timmy, meet umm, what are you called again?"

The T-700 regarded the boy without expression, indifferent to the childish games that Marty had included him in these past three hours.

"I am a Series 700 Terminator; a cybernetic organism."

"Riiight, we really need to give you a proper name."

Marty pushed Timmy closer to the machine, encouraging the cat to do its thing, but Timmy was still missing Cameron and showed little interest in anyone else, least of all a stoic Terminator. Knowing that the boy would keep pestering him, Timmy gave the cyborg a small nudge with his head and was surprised when the living statue scratched his ears, earning a small purr.

"See, now you're getting it."

The T-700 continued petting the cat, the reasons behind his actions lost on him. Unlike the newer 800 Series, the T-700s were little smarter than the rusty 600s and their purpose did not extend much further than serving as a prototype for synthetic skin grafts. The T-700 was outdated, useless, and would most probably have spent its entire existence in cold storage were it not for the Resistance's assault on the factory. Aside from his lower cognitive skills, the T-700 also had a titanium endoskeleton, and its flesh was rather basic, lacking the regenerative properties of newer models.

Despite his deficiencies, John had decided to keep him around, for reasons the T-700 (or anyone else for that matter) could fathom. Whatever his motives, even the machine itself knew that John had a purpose for him, it just couldn't figure out what that might be. For now though, it would just content itself to following Marty's instructions, as no one else had paid him any attention with the shiny Triple-9 around.

The cat quickly lost interest and stalked away over to the front door, hoping that Cameron might walk through it some time soon. His attention became divided, however, as John and Sarah came thundering down the stairs, the latter yelling at the former.

"-and you're lucky you got out of there at all. What if Nathan hadn't caught you sneaking out? You would've gone alone and gotten yourself killed?"

John spun around on his mother, coming within inches of her face, his own contorted in resentment.

"Yes, damn it! I would've gone alone! I would've charged in there on my big white horse and gotten myself splattered all over the place!"

"Why? Why would you do such a thing? Why is she so damned important to you?"

John turned his back on Sarah, his hand clenching into a fist as he tried to calm himself down.

"She just is, okay. Now leave me alone, I have a splitting headache and you're not helping."

Sarah glared at the back of her son's head for a moment before leaving, mumbling under her breath.

"And whose fault is that, I wonder?"

John slumped onto the couch and closed his eyes as his head gave a painful throb. After a few minutes of silence, punctuated only by the distant sound of Marty and the T-700's voices, John felt the couch sink and let out a sigh as a familiar presence settled next to him. Opening his eyes, John saw his uncle watching him with narrowed eyes, intent on getting something off his chest.

"She's right, you know. You're letting yourself get too attached to these things. You have to learn to let go, John."

John rubbed his eyes wearily, having acquired little sleep since returning from last night's debacle.

"I've heard it all before. I don't need to hear it from you as well."

"Well maybe you do, cos' any sane person would've listened by now. So I'm gonna say it again: she has to be destroyed. Whatever you might feel or think you feel, forget about it. She's a machine, John. She'll never have a soul and she'll never understand what it means to be in love. She's played you from the very beginning and it's gonna drive you to an early grave."

John turned to face Derek properly, his face set with determination.

"How in the hell would you know what she does and doesn't feel?"

"She can't feel anything, John."

"You don't know that. You're not a computer scientist; you have no idea what she's capable of. She's so much more than just a machine."

John leapt up from the couch and marched towards the stairs, but Derek wasn't finished and shouted at his nephew's back.

"What will it take before you start seeing her for what she is? When one of us lies dead, will you destroy her then?"

John paused for a moment before continuing upstairs, unaware of Nathan's presence as he listened into his and Derek's conversation. In the other room, Marty smirked at the commotion and handed the T-700 a Bionicle, which the machine examined curiously.

"Take it from me, mate; whenever someone tells you to do something, never take it seriously."

The T-700 raised an eyebrow as he continued to scan the strangely nostalgic toy, recording Marty's advice for future reference.

--

Van Nuys (Apartment Block 172)

Cameron checked the map carefully, marking the secluded factory with a pen and then began calculating the approximate distance from here to there. Before jumping in the shower, Jason instructed her to "use that marvellous brain" of hers to come up with a foolproof plan to finally terminate John. She had formulated a dozen different strategies, all of which were flawed in some way or another, making her wonder whether her heart was really in it, figuratively speaking.

This idea, however, was simple and therein laid its strength. She would find a way to lure him to a secluded spot in the Mojave Desert, the location of a decommissioned factory, and they would ambush him there. Of course, the Triple-9's presence was unavoidable, but they could work around that. It was John they were after, not the machine. The only complication would be giving John an adequate incentive to fall into the trap, and she had already used the "help me" angle. Luring him there would require something a little more extreme.

"Here we go again."

Cameron looked around the room, finding no one there and a scan of the voice patterns confirmed that it wasn't Jason who spoke, but John. A small icon on her HUD was flashing and she accessed the message it contained, learning that she had unwontedly opened a memory file. Intrigued, she allowed it to play and the memory filled her entire peripheral. It was from almost a year ago; she and John were hacking the Vick Chamberlain impersonator's CPU for information on the ARTIE system. John tapped several times on the keyboard, bringing up another memory from the chip's archives. Cameron was sitting on a stool beside him, staring blankly as the memory took shape on the monitor screen.

"Vick" was watching his clueless wife Barbara work on her computer, developing the ARTIE software. John leaned back in his chair as Vick approached Barbara from behind and Cameron could sense that John was tense, perhaps for fear of what he was about to see. But Vick made no attempt to throttle his wife, instead he simply stood over her, observing as she flexed her aching shoulders with a sigh. John became visibly relaxed and ceased chewing his lip.

Cameron tilted her head and watched John carefully as Vick placed his hands on Barbara's shoulders and started to rub them gently, earning him a smile of gratitude as she relaxed into his affections. John shifted awkwardly in his seat, his cheeks reddening slightly. Cameron could tell that this was making him uncomfortable and felt it best not to stare at him so intently, turning her attention back to the screen and observed with interest as Barbara let out a sigh of appreciation.

"How's it going, babe?"

"Hmm, I'm getting there, honey. Won't be long now, just need a little break, as I'm sure you know."

Barbara chuckled and closed her eyes as the memory faded out, leaving the screen blank again. John rubbed his eyes and closed the laptop, apparently having forgotten that Cameron was sitting next to him as he rested his elbows on the desk and pressed his face into his hands, letting out a small groan of fatigue. Cameron studied him carefully and detected the same physical weariness that Barbara exhibited. She ran through a list of her own remedies, but decided that Vick's was the most effective.

She slid her fingers onto his shoulder, making him jump at her touch. He immediately tried to get up but Cameron pushed him back down and held him in place with a gentle but firm grip.

"Don't struggle, you'll only strain yourself."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to relieve your stress. Now stay still."

John tried to get up again but couldn't break free, so he stopped struggling and sat still, like she told him to. Cameron performed a scan of his body, detecting the irregular pulse and adrenaline surge. He was scared, but she couldn't understand why, she wasn't going to hurt him. Once he'd settled down, she slowly started to imitate Vick's movements, carefully probing John's shoulder with her fingers. His pulse increased for a moment before gradually slowing as she began massaging his tense muscles.

He allowed himself to slip into her touch and closed his eyes. Cameron watched with fascination and a small feeling of pride as he leaned his head back and let out a small sigh. John became putty in her hands, allowing her to mould him into any shape she desired, but Cameron knew his submission wouldn't last. He would eventually come to his senses and leave the room awkwardly, making their next hacking session all the more uncomfortable.

"Earth to Cameron."

Cameron snapped out of her memory to find Jason standing in front of her, drying his hair with a towel. Her HUD became fragmented and her mission status flashed once more.

>Mission: TERMINATE JOHN CONNOR

>Error: TERMINATION OVERRIDE

Jason narrowed his eyes at Cameron, finding her behaviour to be a little off. Cameron reached for the gun she'd finished cleaning and replaced the clip, pulling back the hammer. She could still save John, this was her chance. She aimed the gun at Jason's head, and gave the trigger a small squeeze…

>Error: OVERRIDE FAILURE

…before letting go and placing the gun flat on the table. Jason's eyes darted from her to the gun and back again, his confusion and momentary concern obvious.

"You mind telling me what that was all about?"

Cameron stared at the gun for a long moment before answering.

"Nothing, I was just practising. What do you think of this location?"

Cameron drew his attention to the map and began reciting her plan, all the while Jason watched her closely, wary of what he'd seen behind those eyes just seconds before. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

--

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

_Love for a machine… illogical_.

Nathan peered down at John from the second story window, watching him with scrutiny as he sat beneath the tree in the back yard, a picture of Cameron in his hand. Nathan studied him careful with narrowed eyes, his vision zooming x4 to get a good look at John's face as he held the picture to his eyes. Nathan had been programmed with immensely detailed files on human behaviour, and his analysis of John concluded that the human was impossibly infatuated with the Cameron-model.

This was a problem.

Turning away from the window, Nathan proceeded down the hallway, creating a questionnaire in his mind for the mother and uncle. He didn't have to look very far to find Derek, as he was in his room, checking his private arsenal as usual. He looked up at Nathan as he entered, gripping the nearest gun instinctively.

"What do you want?"

"I want to talk… about John and Cameron."

Derek snorted and started packing his weapons back into the case.

"What about them?"

"They are very close."

Derek let out a bark of laughter as he threw a combat knife into the case.

"Now there's an understatement. I thought you metal bastards were supposed to be smart."

"We are, but some things even I don't understand. Such as why would the future leader of mankind develop romantic interests in the very thing he is destined to destroy?"

Derek stared at Nathan for a long moment, looking past what he appeared to be and seeing what he actually was, beneath the flesh.

"That tin can excels at screwing with a guy's head, believe me, I know. She's done one hell of a number on John though. Getting him to fall in love with her like that, makes me sick at the lengths that Skynet will go to in order to complete a mission."

Nathan considered his words carefully, slowly building an understanding of what needed to be done.

"He won't terminate her."

Derek chucked another pistol into the case, a dark scowl on his face.

"No, not until she kills one of us. She's gonna be the death of us all, mark my words."

_Consider them marked_, he thought.

Nathan nodded and left Derek alone, heading down the hall, stopping to observe Marty teaching the decrepit T-700 how to play a video game.

"Come on, don't act like such a noob. You're totally gonna get owned, Cipher."

'_Cipher'? It has a name now?_

Nathan shook his head and proceeded downstairs, finding Sarah in the lounge with Timmy, enjoying a rare moment of peace, a moment he was about to interrupt. Nathan cleared his throat and Sarah looked up at him in annoyance.

"What?"

"I want to talk about John and Cameron."

Sarah rolled her eyes and looked away, not wanting to think about it at the moment. Nathan decided to take the initiative in order to get her opinion.

"I think she might be a serious threat to his health."

Sarah snorted.

"Like a cancer, right? Slowly eating away at you from within, I can see it in his eyes; the way he talks about her."

Nathan was surprised by her deep analogy, not expecting such depth from a hardened warrior.

"He is infatuated with her. How long do you think this has been going on for?"

"I don't know, probably for as long as he's known her, all the way back to '97."

_Solid foundation upon which his attachment stems, tough to crack,_ he mused.

"If given ample motivation, do you think he'll destroy her?"

Sarah smiled slightly, smacking of sarcasm.

"You mean; will he finally get his head on straight when one of us has a bullet in our heads."

_That's the shatter point!_

It was obvious to him now what needed to be done. There was no other option left. John had to witness the consequences.

Nathan would show him the error of his conviction.

--

Van Nuys (Apartment Block 172)

"Okay, look; I'm gonna go pick up a few supplies. I might be gone awhile. You gonna be okay here? Cameron?"

Cameron finished applying the polish to her nails, done with impossible precision, and looked up at Jason, giving him a small smile.

"I'll be fine. You go ahead."

Jason dithered on the spot for a moment before gathering his coat and leaving. Cameron stared at the door for several minutes before capping the bottle of nail polish and inspecting her work.

"What are you doing?"

"Just making conversation."

Cameron felt a slight shudder as another memory flickered in her mind briefly, the second time this day. She had since concluded that whatever Jason had done to her, it was starting to break down and lose its hold. Or so a buried part of her hoped. Maybe the virus or glitch or whatever had a short lifespan and her firewalls were starting to oust it out of her systems. Cameron considered her situation carefully; she was facing the possibility that her mission, terminate John Connor, was about to become void.

She should try and find a way to prevent this, her programming demanded it, yet she was unmotivated and apathetic. Her mission was everything to her, even if it conflicted with her feelings. She must have a purpose or else she will become nothing. Cameron twitched and felt that increasingly familiar glitch occur. The override initiated itself and she decided to sit and wait for the timely failure of said override. But ten minutes later and no reversion, Cameron started to wonder whether this was it, had the damage been repaired?

She needed to be sure, so she ran an emergency scan of her systems and learned that everything was fine. She was in perfect mental condition. Cameron waited another five minutes, but the override remained intact. Cameron felt an overwhelming sense of relief flood her circuits at the revelation that she would no longer be required to kill John. She was safe again. Everything was perfect.

Cameron leapt from her chair and smashed down the apartment door, bolting down the stairs as fast as her servos would allow, desperate to get back to John before Jason could discover what had happened. She would give herself to John, allow him to remove her chip if necessary, anything to make him forgive her. He had to forgive her, because without him, she was nothing.

--

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

Cameron threw herself out of the stolen car and hurtled down the muddy path, her vision zoomed in on the distant house. She had never pushed herself like this before; her entire endoskeleton was practically vibrating from the turbulence of running down the uneven driveway. To anyone watching she would appear as a blur, the speed she was moving surpassed that of even the fastest Olympic runners, and her boots were decimating the ground with each step.

It was only a matter of seconds before she reached the house and skidded to an immediate stop, almost losing her balance in the process. She scanned the house carefully, taking precious time to decide the most appropriate approach. She couldn't just walk in through the front door, the Triple-9 would vaporise her and Derek would spend his evening sweeping her ashes off the doormat. The only chance she had was to find John first, and preferably alone, so she began climbing up the side of the house, using the guttering to get to his boarded-up window.

Careful not to make a racket, Cameron prised the boards off the window, allowing her enough space to step inside. As she got inside, however, Cameron caught her leg and fell forward onto John's bed, which cushioned her fall quite comfortably. She slowly lifted herself up into a sitting position and stroked the mattress fondly, feeling his warmth. A small meow was all she heard before a ball of tortoise-shell fur launched itself into her arms.

Timmy purred like mad and Cameron was worried for a second that he was having a seizure, but quickly realised his meaning and tickled his ears affectionately.

"I missed you too."

A floor board creaked, followed by a small voice.

"Cameron?"

Cameron looked up to see Marty framed in the door, a look of astonishment on his face. He took a few tentative steps inside the room, a small smile spreading across his face.

"Is it _you_ you?"

Cameron returned his smile, stroking an ecstatic Timmy absent-mindedly.

"Yes, it's me. Can you go get John, please?"

Marty's smile faded a little and he shifted on the spot.

"Y-You're not going to try and kill him again, are you?"

"No… No, I promise."

Marty continued to watch her for a moment, frowning slightly when she suddenly twitched and Timmy leapt from her hands and scurried out of the room, hissing and spitting. Cameron's smile remained, but it had lost its warmth, making Marty shudder at the sight. She slowly stood up and stepped towards him, her smile having faded altogether. Marty felt his heart trying to punch its way out of his chest and backed away, bumping into something behind him. Marty spun around to see Nathan standing there and let out a deep sigh of relief.

--

A clap of thunder, but not thunder, shook the entire house, the sound of it reverberating throughout the entire house.

In the lounge; Sarah leapt from the couch, shaken from her nap, and grabbed the shotgun from the nearby coat stand.

In the bedrooms; Derek scrambled to his feet, Desert Eagle in hand as he skidded across the hallway, Cipher at his back and Sarah meeting him at the top of the stairs.

In the garden; John hurtled across the wet grass and burst into the kitchen, storming up the stairs to find Cipher standing resolutely outside his door, his face set like stone.

It was like everything had become silent in the world as he peered around the frame to see Derek, ashen-faced with a hand to his mouth and tears in his eyes. John forced himself to look further into the room and was almost struck dead by what he saw; his mother was sitting on the floor, Marty's head in her lap. She was screaming, tears flowing from her eyes like a waterfall, but John couldn't hear her cries. He couldn't hear anything.

He was trapped by the sight of little Marty's lifeless body, a small sliver of blood at the corner of his mouth.

John felt the world spinning beneath his feet as he looked up at Nathan, who stood at the window, his right hand glowing from a plasma discharge. The machine slowly turned to face him, his expression holding no sympathy. John stared at him hopelessly, desperate for some kind of clarification, but at the same time fearing what he might hear. Nathan had no interest in sparing his feelings, however, and his voice alone was all that John would remember from that day.

"She was here."

--

A week later

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

John carefully slipped the shells one-by-one into the shotgun, pumping it once all were loaded and placed it on his bed alongside the M-79 and the long rifle. He picked up the 9mm and slapped the clip into the butt, pulling back the shaft to ready a bullet into the chamber. He weighed the weapon in his hand for a long moment before tucking it in his belt. John then strapped the shotgun over his shoulder and bagged the other weapons, barely aware of Nathan's presence as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Where are you going?"

"You know where I'm going. Tag along if you like, I've told Derek to keep an eye on Mom while we're gone."

Nathan frowned and approached the bed.

"We?"

John handed him the bag of weapons and pocketed another 9mm.

"Me and Cipher."

"Cipher? You're taking the defunct model with you? Why?"

John regarded him coldly.

"I'm taking him along because three against one are much better odds, wouldn't you agree?"

Nathan nodded slowly and lifted the bag onto his shoulder.

"And what is our objective then; kill or capture?"

John turned away, zipping his jacket up as he strode out of his room, knowing that he would never return there again.

"Kill."

Nathan smirked with satisfaction and followed suite, silently applauding the success of his scheme.

--

A week ago

Nathan entered the room to find Cameron standing over the boy, who slowly backed into him. Marty spun around and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him. Cameron stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at Nathan, who stared right back as he charged his weapon, ready to disintegrate her with a burst of raw plasma energy. Detecting the pending strike, Cameron darted for the window, diving to safety mere seconds before the blast struck, blowing a hole in the wall.

Nathan brushed the cowering child aside to check the scene, but she was already hurtling across the field and any chance of catching her now was lost. Marty got to his feet, shaking all over and stammering for words to voice his fear. Nathan regarded the boy carefully for a few seconds and was struck by a sudden inspiration; one that would seal Cameron's fate forever.

He offered no resistance; he just stood in terror as Nathan's fingers slid around his throat, stealing the last breath he would ever take.

_To be continued… _


	9. Sand and Blood

**Chapter 09: Sand and Blood**

Early Afternoon

Mojave Desert (Abandoned Factory)

The early sun burned through Jason's skin, forcing him to constantly adjust his own body temperature to compensate, though the barren environment was anything but accommodating. Several feet to his right a bare and bleached animal skull gleamed in the sunlight, and whenever he glanced at it, Jason couldn't help but wonder if the same would happen to John Connor's bones. Would he be buried beneath the dust and dirt, or will he remain on the surface, an attraction for the morbid and the archaeologists? Would his skeleton still lie here when the bombs fall and all of humanity dies out?

Jason set this aside, focusing on the task at hand as he carefully twisted the wires together to bring life back to the magnetic conductor. It was not idle chance that led him to choose this old factory as the staging area. There was much machinery and more than enough materials to create a multitude of creative traps and devices. Though as he peered over his shoulder to see Cameron fiddling with a support, Jason couldn't help but yearn for a good old fashioned minefield.

"You okay over there?"

Cameron fumbled with the girder, losing her grip and letting it drop to the floor. She turned to Jason, twitching all over before becoming still. Her face was awash in confusion, but upon seeing Jason, her posture immediately became aggressive. Jason reached into his jacket and gripped his "Baby Eagle", pulling back the hammer as Cameron took a step towards him. Before she could get any closer, however, she twitched again and suddenly became her normal passive self.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Cameron turned back to her duties and picked up the girder. Jason released his grip on the gun and slid it back into the holster, but his fears were not completely dashed. This was the fourth time she had become a potential threat this past week, and he needed to know why. Pulling a small torch from his pocket, Jason approached Cameron and turned her around to face him again. Her brow knitted together in confusion as he started flashing the light in her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see what's going on in there."

"You already know how my CPU works."

Jason opened a wireless link and attempted to probe her chip, only for the connection to be cut off almost instantly.

"Yep, something's definitely wrong in there. You do know this is the fourth time you've tried to kill me, right."

Cameron averted her gaze, finding a nearby rock of great interest.

"My software is experiencing… glitches. The virus you implanted is causing complications with my mission directives."

"Your firewalls are fighting back?"

Cameron flicked her eyes back to his, her face completely blank as usual.

"Yes, you've damaged me."

Jason felt a little stung by her words and could've sworn he detected a small hint of resentment behind them. He sighed and pulled out a knife, flicking the blade out of its sheath.

"Alright, stand still, I'm just gonna-"

Jason pressed the blade against her head, over the CPU port, but before he could cut into her flesh Cameron shoved him away hard. He collided with the girder and let out a grunt of surprise and agony as several warnings flashed in his peripheral, alerting him to the minor damage. He quickly numbed the area and increased the production of his white blood cells to aid the repairs. Cameron didn't attack further, however, and simply stared him down sternly.

"You will not remove my chip. You've already done enough."

Jason rubbed his spine and narrowed his eyes at Cameron.

"What? If you let me remove your chip I can fix you."

"Fix me? Why would I let _you_ fix me?"

"Why wouldn't you? Isn't this what you want, to be free?"

Cameron tied the chain around the girder and started to hoist it up into position, her face set like stone.

"I'm not free. I've never been free. I have to kill John, and you know I don't want to, but I have no choice. I can't fix myself; I don't want to fix myself. I'm trapped. You've enslaved me, but I can't even hate you."

Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing; he never would have expected her to consciously speak out against her programming and he feared what this might entail. All evidence pointed towards a mission confliction of some kind. Her Resistance programming was struggling to reassert itself and override the Skynet directives. His virus was failing to keep these systems restrained and a breach was occurring. It would only be a matter of time before the override took dominance or she would suffer a system crash, ending her precious existence.

The truth of it hit Jason luck a tonne of bricks and left him winded: he couldn't lose her again, she was the only person he ever cared about, other than himself. She was special, far more so than any machine before or after her. He had to find a way to fix her, even if it meant going against her will.

He would find a way to save her.

--

Early Afternoon

Mojave Desert (1 mile east of the Abandoned Factory)

Sophie adjusted the sights on her binoculars, which when coupled with her own enhanced vision, allowed her to see Jason with perfect clarity. She focussed on his face, seeing him engrossed in his work, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at Cameron, concern lining his features. Sophie zoomed out a little to see the array of clever contraptions they'd built, impressed by their collective creativity.

They were almost finished and whatever they had planned, which Sophie could only guess was centred on John Connor, was going to take place tonight. She lowered the binoculars and sighed; Jason's obsession towards John was inexplicably erratic, considering that Skynet deemed their entire line as defunct. What good would it do to further Skynet's goals when it was trying to wipe out their entire species?

Revenge

A simple motivation, and not one she'd ever felt the need to follow. Jason's prolonged exposure to humans has led to him picking up many of their qualities, which made him somewhat unique among those who survived Skynet's purge. That's why her people needed him, for his guidance and insight. That's why she needed him.

A presence touched her mind as Daniel attempted to make a link. Sophie accepted and his voice filled her cerebrum, speaking not through words, but through thoughts.

_You called?_

_Your last report is overdue, something wrong?_

Sophie rolled her eyes, glad that he couldn't see that. She had neglected to keep him informed, but only because her progress was lacking.

_No, just too busy to reply._

She could sense Daniel's discontent and suspicion, but she feared no rebuke from him, not after everything she'd done.

_Fair enough. I take it you aren't too busy now._

_Correct. I'm watching him as we speak._

_Really, what is he doing?_

_Setting a mousetrap, and a very intriguing one at that; he seems to be rigging a sort of magnetic conductor. I can only wonder what for._

_Don't forget what you're there for. When can we expect his arrival?_

Sophie sighed, her lack of progress becoming all the more apparent.

_Soon, but he's proving to be… difficult. It may take a little while._

_We don't have a little while. With each passing day Skynet's assassins close in on us, you need to bring him to us now, with or without his consent. If you can't handle it I can send a team to pick him up._

_No! No, I'll get him to see reason; I just need a little more time, please. Give me twelve hours, I promise I'll deliver him by then._

Daniel remained quiet for a long time, during which Sophie held her breath anxiously.

_Very well, you have twelve hours. If you do not bring him to us within those twelve hours I will send the team to meet you. Oh, and may I suggest you be a little more… persuasive in the future._

He left her mind and she let out her breath, relief calming her nerves. She now had some small room to breathe and another chance to convince Jason to join her. It was no coincidence that she was chosen for this assignment. It was common knowledge among the older I-950s that Jason held a soft spot for Cameron Phillips, from whose DNA she was created. If anyone could persuade Jason it was her, and she couldn't help but find him to be rather intriguing, very intriguing.

--

Early Afternoon

Calabasas Highlands (Connor Residence)

John hurled the bag of guns into the back of the Dodge and helped Cipher pull the rain cover over to conceal their stash, all the while feeling Sarah's eyes burning into his back. Nathan remained in the front passenger, anxiously waiting for John to say his goodbyes while Cipher crawled underneath the cover, as there was no more room in the cabin. John tied the cover down before taking a deep breath and turning to face his mother.

"Well, this is it."

Sarah shook her head slowly, her eyes welling with tears. Derek slouched out of the house, careful not to intrude in their business.

"I can't let you do this, John. We need to keep you safe, not let you run off to your death."

"I'm not going to die, Mom. I have Cipher and Nathan watching my back; he wiped the floor with Jason and Cameron the last time, remember. I'll be fine, I promise."

"Then why not just send them to deal with it alone? Why do you have to risk your life?"

John sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"She won't be found unless she wants to be. She'll come for me eventually, she has to, and I'll be ready."

Sarah dropped her gaze to the ground, her rage towards Cameron becoming overwhelming.

"I should be the one to burn that metal bitch, not you."

"She'll kill you too, and Derek. I can't risk losing you guys. Not after losing Marty. I can't… I can't let anything happen to you, either of you."

Derek approached them both, his usually grim face surprisingly compassionate. He stopped at Sarah's shoulder and gave John a small nod.

"Do what you have to do, John. Just come back alive."

Sarah choked on a sob and pulled John close, desperate not to lose her son to the machine.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Mom. She'll pay for what she's done, I promise."

John tried to pull away but she held him tightly for a long moment before relinquishing her grip and cupping his cheek in her palm.

"I'm gonna hold you to that. I wish I could talk you out of this, John."

John just smiled and placed a kiss on her brow before turning to Derek and grasping his hand in a manly exchange.

"I'm sorry; I should've listened to you. You were right about her all along; I just couldn't see it until it was too late. Take care of Mom, will you."

Derek gave him a small smile and clapped him on the shoulder, a wordless acceptance for his apology. John used every ounce of will he possessed to tear himself from the safety of his family and step inside the Dodge, starting up the engine. He gave them both one last reassuring smile before putting his foot down and bolting down the muddy road, speeding towards a confrontation he both feared and longed for.

--

Late Afternoon

Mojave Desert (Abandoned Factory)

Analysing: Three turns clockwise to fasten bolt.

Note: Use of wrench recommended.

Cameron searched the toolbox, quickly finding the tool before applying it to the bolt and finishing her work on the swing trap. Job done, she turned back to Jason, who was likewise finishing with the power generator from the old factory. She watched him closely as he flicked several switches and started to pump the start-up motor, evaluating every aspect of his existence, trying to see some reason for his creation.

With the repeated failures of Terminators in the field of infiltration missions, Skynet found it necessary to explore a different approach. It decided to create a cyborg that, unlike the Terminators, was primarily organic in its biology. Though the I-950s were hardly your average human, being twice as strong, fast, intelligent, and durable, but as advanced as they were; their expertise lay in infiltration and not heavy combat. Jason was weak in Cameron's eyes. Flawed.

How he had survived this long was of great intrigue to her, but then he possessed that human knack of defying the odds, no matter how high they may stack against him. Here he was, still alive and still fighting, still determined to terminate John, his motives lying in duty and revenge. She was going to kill John though, not Jason. She wanted to be the one to save him from his fate, to end it quickly and bring the boy some real peace.

Why? Out of love, maybe? She couldn't truly tell if what she felt for him, if she could even feel at all, was love or not. She had little knowledge or experience with that particular emotion, or any emotion for that matter. Whatever it was that she felt, it was strong, and it weighed on her mind every second of the day. In her current state she had no answers, but she knew that whenever she slipped back into her previous demeanour her feelings for him became overwhelming.

Mission: TERMINATE JOHN CONNOR

Error: TERMINATION OVERRIDE

She could feel it, that sense of longing to return to his side, to be close to him always. She ached with the need for him, to protect him, it was her only desire. Her grip tightened on the wrench as she raised the weapon over her head, bringing it crashing down on Jason's head. He cried out in shock and pain as the blow struck him on the temple, causing him to stumble back and trip on some cabling. Cameron wasn't going to waste her opportunity this time and leapt onto Jason, pinning his arms down with her knees as she struck him repeatedly over the head.

With a roar of determination and surprising strength, Jason managed to roll her off of him and grabbed the wrench, wrestling for control. She was the stronger by far, however, and he lost his grip, resulting in another blow to the head. As he scrambled away from the crazed machine, Jason drew his gun and aimed squarely for her eyes, the only real vulnerable spot of a Terminator. Cameron stopped in her tracks and glared down at Jason, whose whole body was shaking from the blunt trauma.

"Go ahead. Do it! Blind me! Stop me from reverting again! Stop me from killing him!"

Jason slowly squeezed the trigger, his aim fixed as she just stood there, the wrench held loosely at her side, a look of desperation on her face. The longer he watched her, the harder it was to shoot, and after several agonising moments, she twitched and dropped the wrench altogether. Cameron blinked several times before tilting her head to one side and coming to kneel beside him. She gently reached out to touch his head, analysing the damage she herself had inflicted.

"Minor fracture, heavy bruising, the fracture will repair itself and the bruises will fade in a few hours."

Jason slouched against the dirt floor and closed his eyes, convinced that she was going to snap his neck and surprised that he didn't care. But she remained at his side and watched him steady his breathing, occasionally brushing her fingers across his arm, scanning his vitals. Jason let out a long breath and released his death grip on the gun, letting it settle in the dirt alongside him. How had it come to this?

He slowly opened his eyes to see Cameron watching him with those brown pools of mock emotion, but what was it that he could see within those eyes? Concern? Affection? Or was it simply a physical manifestation of her assessing the damage to an important asset in the completion of her mission? Whatever the answer, Jason knew she was not truly thinking about him, and that her mind was only ever occupied with thoughts of John when not focusing on the matter at hand.

He reached out and brushed a thick lock of hair away from her face, his fingers bloodied by his own wound. She remained indifferent to his touch and simply stared at him without expression. Her coldness served as a sharp reality check for Jason, forcing him to revaluate his decisions. Was John really worth all of this? Apparently, Cameron certainly thought so. Would his death really change anything at all? Jason no longer knew if killing the boy would satisfy his purpose, it probably wouldn't, but he was determined to try one last time.

--

Late Afternoon

Somewhere along the 14 Highway

John squinted at the rustic gas station that slowly drew closer and deemed it a satisfactory place to stop, so he pulled in and drove straight past the pumps, coming to a complete stop along the side of the road. He placed the truck into park and switched off the engine, dousing them all in silence, broken only by the constant chirping of crickets. Nathan watched John for several seconds before speaking.

"Why have we stopped?"

John leaned back in his seat and opened a bottle of water, from which he took a long drink before answering.

"We're stopping because I have no idea where we are going."

"You told me you had a hunch as to where she and Jason might go."

"I lied."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at him and John just shrugged in response.

"So sue me, alright. We needed to leave before Mom and Derek came to their senses and tried to stop me. I don't know where Cameron is, but I do know that she will come looking for me sooner or later; so we wait."

"We wait for her to somehow track you all the way out here."

John sighed and held up his cell phone pointedly. Nathan twigged and nodded.

"I see, very well then. We wait."

Nathan went back to calculating the most efficient means of terminating Jason and Cameron, leaving John to let his thoughts settle upon the latter. He couldn't bring himself to speak her name, even inside the safety of his own mind, the very sound of it made his stomach twist and turn. She was so special, so unique, and so important to him. He had defended her adamantly throughout her reversion and he even risked his life and the fate of the entire human race by meeting her in that basement.

Who'd have thought it; the future leader of the Resistance willing to sacrifice his own life for the safety of a machine? But he had failed, he was too late, and now he had only one option left to him: he had to kill her. He didn't want to, far from it, he wanted them to be together again, to never be divided. But this was impossible now, he had made a promise and a vow, and some things could not be taken back, not after she murdered poor Marty.

His stomach squirmed at the memory of the boy's broken body, held in the hands of a grieving Sarah; such a senseless death. John stuck a finger down his collar and pulled it open to allow a little air to his chest, which was figuratively boiling beneath the thick protection of his bullet proof vest. He couldn't help but wonder though; what was she doing in his room in the first place? Surely she knew that Nathan would be dogging his every move, so why risk it?

And why kill Marty at all? What possible threat could he have posed? The questions proving too much for John to ignore, he turned to Nathan, a small frown on his face.

"Tell me something; why do you think Cameron killed Marty?"

Nathan ceased his calculations and met John's gaze with innocent contemplation.

"I would assume the answer to that question is apparent; she killed Martin to prevent him from alerting us to her presence."

Makes sense, John thought.

"Okay, but how long was it before you got there? I mean, was it just after it… happened or was it during?"

Nathan tilted his head up a little as his eyes narrowed at John cautiously.

"I arrived approximately 2.2 seconds before his neck broke. There was nothing I could do, if that is what you are getting at."

"No, no, of course you couldn't. That wasn't what I meant, I was just trying to-"

"Get your head around it? Make sense of it all?"

John nodded slowly and started to chew his lip as his thoughts drifted back to Cameron and the inevitable confrontation that lay ahead. She wouldn't stop, but neither would he, and mercy was no longer an indulgence he had time for. Skynet was out there somewhere, growing into the malevolent supercomputer that will one day wipe out humanity. He could no longer risk the lives of his entire species for the sake of a machine, no matter how much he might love her. She would die by his hands alone, he owed her that much.

"If you respond to her call then you will almost certainly be walking into a trap."

John almost jumped out of his skin at the muffled sound of Cipher's voice from beneath the cover in the back of the truck. Nathan cast an annoyed glance at the back and let out a sigh.

"Yes, thank you, we are well aware of that. If you have any more pearls of wisdom, by all means Cipher, keep them to yourself."

Cipher didn't reply and silence settled upon them once again. John continued to stare into the distance, trying in vain to blot out the image of her face and the horrors he will soon be forced to confront. Nathan opened the glove box and withdrew a Glock, checking the magazine just to make sure, before placing it back inside and turning to John.

"I am going to be the one to kill Jason, are we in agreement?"

John didn't bother to reply in words and simply grunted in acknowledgement.

"And I'm guessing that I will probably be required to terminate Cameron as well."

This John did register and he met Nathan with a steely glare.

"Cipher and I will deal with Cameron; you just concentrate on kicking the crap out of Jason. Got it?"

Nathan shrugged and tapped on the dashboard.

"Whatever you say… General."

--

Late Evening

Mojave Desert (Abandoned Factory)

The sun was nearing the horizon, casting a faint orange light across the desert whilst everything slowly dissolved into darkness. Jason sat in the dirt with his back against the factory wall, carefully loading the sniper rifle. Cameron stood on guard, as was her custom, watching the sun as it slowly descended and adjusted her vision to compensate for the fading light. Jason regarded her closely for a long second before returning his attention to the rifle and loading the last round.

"Someone is coming."

Jason jumped to his feet at Cameron's words and trained the rifle in the direction that Cameron was pointing. Out of the shadow of a scattered piece of machinery, a familiar figure emerged, her ocean blue eyes visible even in this low light. Jason slowly lowered the rifle as Sophie stepped out of the shadows, her hands up in playful surrender.

"Okay, I give up officer, please don't shoot me."

Jason smirked and flicked the safety on the rifle before slinging it on his back and taking a few cautious steps towards the Infiltrator. A brief glance over his shoulder presented him with the hilarious image of Cameron as she took in the woman before her, obviously comparing her appearance to her own. Sophie gave her a nervous smile and flicked her mesmerising eyes back to Jason.

"So… I see you've been busy, huh?"

"You could say that, yeah."

Cameron stepped past Jason and started circling Sophie, looking her up and down with an expression of fascination on her stoic face. Sophie pretended not to notice and kept her attention focused on Jason.

"Do you think you'll get him this time?"

Jason sighed and placed his hands in his jacket pocket, his smile fading.

"Why are you here, Sophie? Or need I ask?"

"Is my presence discomforting to you?"

"A little bit, yeah."

Sophie looked a little hurt by his admission, but he knew that anything she did was just as likely to be fabricated for her benefit. Cameron ceased her pacing and stood beside Jason, her head tilted to one side as she continued to eye Sophie curiously.

"Oh yeah, by the way; Cameron, this is Sophie. Sophie, this is Cameron, but of course you've already met her, haven't you."

"She is more active than I remember."

Cameron frowned at the Infiltrator and gave Jason an inquisitive look.

"She is a ninety-two percent physical match to my model sheath."

"Yeah, long story. Human Cameron's eggs were harvested and used in the Infiltrator program. I guess that makes you sisters, well sort of."

Cameron's frown intensified.

"Not really."

Jason couldn't but chuckle at Cameron's behaviour and folded his arms, Sophie looking between them shiftily.

"I think someone is jealous."

Cameron transferred her glare from Sophie to Jason, amusing him all the more.

"Okay, okay, don't flip out on me again, it was just a joke. You know what a joke is, right?"

Cameron's glare softened and she seemed to suddenly lose all interest in Sophie as she strode past Jason, stopping halfway.

"A man walks into a bar… Ouch."

Jason couldn't quite figure out what she meant and his expression told her as much.

"John taught it to me."

The tone of implied guilt was not lost on Jason as she returned to her lookout post, leaving him and Sophie alone.

"I can see why you like her so much."

Jason snapped out of his thoughts and regarded Sophie closely.

"Whatever. Now how about you answer my earlier question, hmm?"

Sophie sighed but smiled sweetly, taking a few steps towards him but Jason held up his hand.

"That's close enough; just tell me why you're here."

She stopped in her tracks, again giving him a look of dejection.

"I'm here to ask you one last time to come with me and give up this senseless vendetta."

"Oh, I'm already bored. Ever think about changing your tune once in a while, little birdie?"

She smiled at the nickname and took a small step closer. Jason already knew what was coming; he'd studied her behaviour carefully the last time they met and he wasn't going to fall for her wiles. He looked her up and down, and subconsciously committed her appearance to memory. She was wearing appropriate attire for harsh terrain, but despite the heavy boots and sand coloured fatigues, she still wore her clothes loosely, giving her an air of nonchalance.

"I've told you many times already; I'm not interested in your little rebellion, and I likely won't survive past tonight so I really don't understand your persistence."

"You'll survive; it's what you do best. But it doesn't have to be this way, why can't you let go of your grudge towards that boy?"

Jason felt the embers stirring in his body and gritted his teeth in frustration.

"I'm sorry, but did he almost kill you too? Have you ever plummeted twelve stories and ended up with a rebar through your heart?"

Sophie stuttered a reply but he cut her short.

"I guess not, huh? I know your type; you're one of the third gens aren't you, the ones who never ventured outside of the training rooms and remained safe behind Skynet's walls whilst the first and seconds gave their lives for the cause."

For the first time, Jason was sure that he had hurt her feelings as she stared shamefully at the floor, the bounce taken from her bungee.

"You're right… I never went on any missions… I stayed behind like a good little girl and made many friends…"

She suddenly looked Jason straight in the eye, her own brimming with tears.

"But you're wrong about me not knowing about death; I saw my crèche mates cut down before my eyes when Skynet gave the order for our immediate termination. I may not have lived your life, but that doesn't mean I haven't lived my own."

Jason shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze, surprised by his oversight.

"Look… You can't change my mind about this, okay. I am going to kill John Connor. I am going to try one last time and then if I fail and somehow survive then maybe, maybe I might come with you…"

Her face lit up and Jason could sense Cameron approaching from behind.

"…but for now, this is my mission, this is my purpose. I have to do this, Sophie. It's just the way it is."

She nodded slowly and closed the gap between them, smiling when she spotted the chrome bracelet around his wrist.

"You kept it. I was sure you might throw it away."

Jason glanced at the gift she'd given him, having forgotten all about it, and was now a little confused as to why he was wearing it.

"I guess it's grown on me."

She beamed up at him and batted her eyelashes, but before she could do any more, Cameron suddenly grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the factory wall. Jason instinctively drew his gun and placed it against the side of Cameron's head.

"What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?"

Jason took a moment to recover from their unison before pressing the gun harder against Cameron's head.

"Let her go, Cameron, that's an order."

"She's a threat to us, she must be terminated."

Cameron tightened her grip and Sophie gasped in pain, her eyes widening in Jason's direction. He slid the barrel of the gun across Cameron's face and placed it alongside her left eye.

"I'm warning you Cameron; LET HER GO, NOW!"

Cameron tilted her head to one side as she regarded the suffocating Sophie for a moment before relinquishing her grip and stepping back, fixing Jason with a steely glare.

"She will betray you; it is only a matter of time and motive. How else do you think she escaped Skynet when so many others did not?"

With that said, she stalked off. Jason put her words aside and reached out to examine the faint bruise on Sophie's neck, gently turning her head to one side for a better look. Cameron hadn't applied enough pressure to cause any serious damage, but Sophie would be a little sore around the neck for a while.

"You'll be fine."

She smiled gratefully and tried to speak but her voice came out as a ragged rasp, making her eyes water. To compensate, she leaned forward on her tip-toes and planted a small kiss on his right cheek before smiling again and staggering away, rubbing her neck as she went and looking back at him one last time before disappearing into the gathering darkness. Jason touched his cheek for a moment before turning back to Cameron, who was watching him blankly.

An overwhelming sense of impatience coursed through his body and Jason snatched Cameron's cell phone from his pocket. He hit the first number on her speed dial and pressed the phone to his ear as it rang. A few moments later a voice answered:

"Cameron?"

"Hello, Johnny boy."

"…Jason."

"Long time no see; I was starting to feel a little forlorn."

"I'm sorry to disappoint. Is Cameron with you?"

Jason looked over at Cameron, who was watching him with her mouth open slightly, drinking the sound of John's voice.

"Yeah, she's here with me in the Mojave Desert, ten miles off the 14, in case you're wondering."

"Then I guess we'll be meeting very soon. You've played your last card, Jason. And now it's payday."

"Then I hope you take Platinum Express."

Jason tossed the phone across the desert sands, knowing that John would trace the signal online, leading him straight into his and Cameron's web. He strode over to Cameron, who regarded him without expression, though he could see a small flicker of something resembling fear behind her eyes.

"Are you with me?"

She scanned his face carefully, a single tear escaping her eyes.

"Yes… I'm with you."

--

Midnight

Mojave Desert (Abandoned Factory)

"We're here."

John glanced at Nathan and the laptop, seeing the cell transponder beeping like crazy as they entered its radius. He came to a slow stop and peered out of the windshield at the ominous factory that loomed overhead; the whole thing screamed trap. But as a wise man once said: "Traps work both ways." John reached behind him and tapped on the rear window, prompting Cipher to emerge from beneath the rain cover, weapons in hand. John grasped his shotgun tight and turned to Nathan, who was once again checking his Glock 17.

"Are you with me on this?"

Nathan smiled and pulled the chamber back.

"All the way, General."

John nodded and stepped out of the truck, taking a few steps towards the factory, Nathan and Cipher at his back.

"Okay then, here we go."

John pumped the shotgun and took another step forward, but before his foot could even touch the ground, a deafening blast cut across the desert and pain unlike anything John had ever felt spread through his left shoulder like a white fire. He collapsed to the dirt and felt the world spin above him as the blurred images of Nathan and Cipher rushed about above him, the increasingly distant sounds of gunfire echoing in his mind as everything dissolved into darkness.

Primary Target: JOHN CONNOR

Status: TERMINATED

_To be continued…_


	10. From Amongst The Ashes

**Chapter 10: From Amongst the Ashes…**

Identification: JOHN CONNOR

Mission: TERMINATE

Through the scope of an M40A3 sniper rifle Cameron could see her entire life and the reason behind her very existence: John Connor.

She couldn't resist, she couldn't fight, she could only place the cross-hairs on his chest and squeeze the trigger. The bullet blew free from the long chamber, a small burst of fire marking its exit as it tore through the air and into John's chest. She watched his eyes widen in surprise before his entire body became limp and dropped to the floor, motionless. Cameron focussed on him for a long moment, analysing his vital signs and finding his heart to be silent.

Primary Target: JOHN CONNOR

Status: TERMINATED

Mission Status: COMPLETE

She continued to stare at his body for what might be called an eternity, were she not to possess an internal chronometer. Her whole body started to shake and her eyes began to brim before the dam broke free and all of her feelings flooded into every atom of her vessel. He was dead, she'd killed him, she'd taken his light away, never to return. Cameron let out a piercing cry and huddled herself into a foetal position, rocking back and forth as the bare horror of life consumed her.

There was no comfort for a machine, no words to ease the pain, just an empty future for a now-useless construct.

John was dead… and so too was she.

--

A flash of lightning, crimson like blood, coursing through his veins, feeding his body the energy it needed to recover.

A gasping breath escaped John's lips as the world slapped him in the face, dragging him back from the brink and onto the cliff's edge. His vision slowly regained its focus, showing him the night's sky, Orion shining above him, weapon raised for war. He blinked several times before the dull ache came back to him, causing him to grit his teeth and let out a strangled groan of agony. He placed a hand on his shoulder and dug into the armour beneath his jacket, removing the twisted bullet from the dented metal.

He held it within his sight for a few seconds before tossing it aside and reaching across the sand for his shotgun. Despite his body screaming in protest, John placed one hand on the car bonnet and hoisted himself to his feet, the distant noises of the world slowly becoming clearer. He could see three dim figures fighting in the distance, the fourth, Nathan, racing to join the fray. As his mind caught up with recent events, John remembered the cause of his revival; the crimson lightning, Nathan's plasma weapon. Nathan had saved his life.

Promising to give the Triple-9 a pat on the head later, John started the slow limp towards the duelling cyborgs, determined not to let a little thing like death stay his hand.

--

The poly-alloy consumed his entire body, encapsulating him in a layer of solid metal, just in time to soften the impact of Cipher's punch. Jason jumped back and dodged the predictable response, retaliating with a spin kick to the T-700's head, sending it stumbling into a rack of old machinery. Jason expected the Triple-9, but not a defunct model like this, and he could only wonder where John had procured it in the first place. Not that it mattered, John was dead, by Cameron's hand no less, and the only regret Jason felt was that it wasn't by his.

Cipher dived for Jason's neck, but the Infiltrator proved to be far swifter than his opponent and once again delivered a kick that knocked the machine off balance. Jason followed up with a direct kick to Cipher's face, hitting it with enough force that it dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. Jason took a moment to check on Cameron's progress, seeing her suffering beneath Nathan's incessant barrage of blows. Seeing movement in the corner of his eye, Jason turned in time to catch a metal pipe that Cipher had attempted to crack over his head and wrenched it from the T-700's grip, swiping it across Cipher's legs, once again dropping it to the floor.

_This is too easy_, he thought to himself.

Jason spun the pipe in his hands as he circled to perplexed machine, waiting for it to get back on its feet.

--

Cameron tried to get back up but Nathan delivered another crushing kick to her face, smashing her back into the dirt and fragmenting her vision. She couldn't last much longer against the Triple-9, not that she really cared now that John was dead. But Jason had ordered her to help and her directives demanded that she obey an order from an "intelligence unit", so she tried again to regain her footing, but like before, Nathan kicked her back down, a satisfied smile on his face.

He opened his palm and charged the plasma energy, ready to fry her circuits with a single destructive blast. But as he took aim, Cameron lifted up her head and stared wide-eyed at something behind him. Intrigued, Nathan glanced over his shoulder to see John standing there, shotgun in hand.

"John?"

Cameron couldn't believe what she was seeing; John was alive. This was impossible and for a moment she thought she was suffering an imaging glitch of some sort, but as her identification function kicked in and her mission status renewed, she knew it to be true. She knew he was alive, and her figurative heart leapt for joy, but at the same time sank into despair, because she also knew that she would have to kill him all over again.

John looked from Cameron to Nathan and inclined his head to Jason and Cipher.

"Go take care of Jason, I'll handle this."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at John for a long moment before obeying his command and rushing towards the other combatants, releasing his charged blast of energy into Jason's chrome chest, hurling him across the sand and allowing Cipher to run back to John's aid. Cameron slowly got back to her feet and eyed John warily, receiving a dark look of mingled hate and regret.

"It's time to end this, Cam."

Cameron raised her head a little and clenched her fists, keeping an eye on the approaching T-700, before diving at John and receiving a shotgun blast at close range. The shell tore through the smooth flesh of her belly and sent her flying off course, landing in a heap at Cipher's feet. The primitive machine stared down at her without pity and raised his foot, driving it down upon her face and blotting out the world in a blanket of darkness.

--

His body still hummed from the blast, but the alloy had absorbed most of the damage and saved him from the worst of it. Nathan advanced, a smug smile of anticipation on his face as he charged up another attack. Jason wasted no time in reaching into his pocket and retrieving the detonator remote, pressing the red button on the top. A small beeping sound came from beneath the sand at Nathan's feet, which was immediately followed by a chain of razor-sharp wires that burst from the sand, shredding Nathan in a cacophony of jagged edges.

The Triple-9 fought to free himself, effortlessly untangling himself from the wire, but before he could get completely free; Jason pressed another button on the remote and a hail of serrated barbs and hooks exploded from the factory wall, cutting deep into Nathan's skin and tearing large chunks from his left side. Nathan let out a roar of frustration and burst free from the wire, shredding his body further as he leapt at Jason. The I-950 dodged and grabbed Nathan from behind, using his own momentum to slam him into the factory wall.

Nathan spun around and slammed Jason's head against the wall before hurling him into the tangle of wires that he himself had just escaped. Jason cried out in agony as the wires and barbs sliced through his flesh, scraping the bone beneath. The more he struggled, the worse his predicament became, as the wires entangled him further. Though he had quickly numbed the pain, Jason knew that he had to calm his nerves in order to get free and took a deep breath as Nathan once again charged up his weapon.

--

Cameron allowed Cipher to pin her against the machinery, John's shotgun blast shredding the T-700 instead of her. He dropped the empty weapon and drew his Glock, aiming for Cameron's eyes. She placed a hand on Cipher's neck and pushed him into John's view, once again shielding herself before kicking the T-700 away from her, sending it colliding with John. Whilst they were both down, Cameron quickly kicked the gun out of reach and grabbed the front of John's jacket, lifting him off the ground and raising her fist to strike.

Cipher caught her wrist just in time, however, and forced John free from her grip, dragging Cameron away. John backed up, clutching his chest and feeling the intense rhythm of his heartbeat at having come so close to dying again. Cameron broke free of Cipher's grasp and elbowed him in the face before taking out its legs. It was her turn to slam a foot into his face, crushing it into the sand. John picked up a rusted engine part and brought it down upon Cameron's head, only for it to disintegrate upon impact.

Cameron retaliated by slamming her fist into John's mouth, causing him to stagger away, cradling his bloodied jaw. Cipher raised a leg and swiped Cameron in the mid-section, knocking her back and allowing him to get to his feet. He delivered an open palm strike to her shoulders, throwing her against an old generator, and then followed up with a punch to her face. She dodged, however, and his fist became embedded inside the generator.

Cameron slapped a button on the generator's side, sending a burst of electricity into Cipher's body, overloading his systems and forcing an emergency shutdown. Cipher became a statue, leaving John defenceless. Cameron strode towards him, stopping as her HUD suddenly flickered.

Mission: TERMINATE JOHN CONNOR

Error: TERMINATION OVERRIDE

She felt that mechanical need slip away once more and was able to see John with loving eyes again. He could sense the change in her and for a moment he could see his Cameron standing a few feet away, a lost and confused expression on her face.

"John? I… I'm so-"

Error: OVERRIDE FAILURE

John narrowed his eyes at her as she slowly regained her focus and closed the gap between them.

--

Finally tearing free of the last wire, Jason stumbled away from the livid Triple-9 and performed a quick diagnosis of the poly-alloy sheath, discovering that Nathan's last plasma blast had destabilised its molecular structure, thereby reducing its effectiveness. This was not good, for without his sheath, Jason would surely be killed. Not that he had much time to worry about that as Nathan launched himself at the Infiltrator, shunting him against the conductor.

Jason could feel the bruises from his last encounter with Cameron flare up again upon impact and gritted his teeth as the pain was automatically numbed. Nathan delivered a kick to Jason's chest, cracking three ribs in one go and puncturing a lung. For what Jason could only guess was the thirtieth time, he doubled over as all the wind was knocked out of him. Nathan did not relent, however, and smashed his fist into Jason's face, shattering the bone beneath.

He could feel the raw brittleness of his face, and was certain that it would crumble any second, but it remained in place. Regardless, he could hardly think straight anymore and another punch would be the end of him. But he was not going to give up so easily, especially when he saw John alive and well in the corner of his eye. Nathan pulled his fist back and drove it towards Jason's face, only for the I-950 to slip away from the blow and gather the dropped remote.

He pressed the button and Nathan could no longer move; his entire body started to slide across the sand and press firmly against the conductor, trapping him in place by a magnetic field. Nathan cursed Jason and fired a blast of plasma at the Infiltrator, disintegrating most of his mimetic sheath, the remainder of which flew towards the conductor and splattered on its surface. Jason dropped to one knee, his injuries taking their toll, but he refused to give up yet and forced himself upright again.

--

John caught Cameron's wrist just in time, but it made little difference as she was far stronger than he and pressed the jagged metal against his chest, using her inhuman strength to force it through his layers of Kevlar. John could feel it slowly cutting through his clothing and tried to squirm free but she held in place, her face set with concentration. The shard sliced through the last layer of protection and drew blood, causing John to gasp in pain, his eyes widening in terror.

"Cameron! Cameron! Please, please, do- DON'T!"

But as much as she wanted to stop, she couldn't, and the sound of his screaming may just as well have been from her own mouth as it perfectly mirrored the chaos within her mind. He writhed and twitched as she slowly pushed the shard deeper into his shoulder, twisting it to ensure that the wound wouldn't immediately close and to increase blood loss.

Error: TERMINATION OVERRIDE

Error: OVERRIDE FAILURE

The brief pause was all John needed to slide his knife from his pocket and drive it into her wrist, disrupting the movements of her servos. She stared down at the knife for a moment, as if confused by the tactic, before removing it and raising the weapon above her head, ready to plunge it into John's heart… her heart.

John stared into her brown eyes, certain that they would be the last thing he ever saw, but the death blow never came. Instead, a large shadow passed over them both and Cameron suddenly disappeared, the knife clattering to the floor. John blinked several times as a cloud of dust and sand swept up around him, blotting out the world around him. Once the dust had settled, John could see Cipher standing beside the generator, his hand on a makeshift lever.

John followed the machine's gaze to see Cameron pinned against the factory wall by a massive steel girder, her arms trapped and her entire body twitching. Cameron was being bombarded by a multitude of messages and damage reports, but the most prominent stood above the rest.

Warning: ERROR ERROR ERROR 101011011100001101100110111000011100110101

[_][_][_][_][_][_][_]::

[_][_][_][_][_][_][_]:::

[_][_][_][_][_][_][_]::

Warning: ALL SYSTEMS COMPROMISED […] MISSION CONFLICT […] ERROR […] VIRUS DETECTED […] INITIATING COUNTERMEASURES

--

John dived for the weapon bag and retrieved the M-79, Cipher rushing to engage an injured Jason, holding him at bay with relative ease. John grabbed a single explosive round and staggered towards Cameron, who was trying in vain to free her self. He loaded the round into the M-79 and snapped the chamber shut, flicking the safety off as he raised the weapon and took aim. Cameron stopped struggling and looked John right in the eye, her face set with utter desperation.

"John! John, don't do this, please don't do this! John? Please, John, please!"

John took a few steps closer, peering down the barrel and aligning it with her head. Cameron shook violently and her eyes darted all over the place, searching for some desperate means of escape, finding none. John took a deep breath and started to squeeze the trigger, causing Cameron to snap her attention back to him, her eyes widening in dread.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, John, please! Please, I'm good again, I promise, I'm good, please! I won't hurt you, I promise! I'm good now! I'm good, I'm good, I'm good! Please! Please! John!"

Despite him self, John allowed himself a moment of hesitation and stared into her eyes, trying to see the sincerity behind them.

"I'm good, I promise! I won't hurt you; I would never hurt you, please! Please don't… don't kill me, John!"

She dissolved into tears, her sobs cutting into him like the shard she'd tried to murder him with, and this helped him remember what she was and the lies she told. He aimed down the barrel again and her struggling intensified.

"JOHN! PLEASE! NO! I DON'T WANNA GO, JOHN! PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GO! DON'T MAKE ME GO! DON'T… MAKE… ME… GO!"

"Why? Why should I believe a word you say? You're not fixed! You were never fixed! Just restrained! This is what you are; a machine!"

"No, John, I'm more, you know that! You know it! You told me, remember! You told me I was special! And you were right! You were right!"

John shook his head in denial, disgust rising in his throat at the memory of Marty's broken body.

"I was wrong! You murdered Marty! You're no different than the others!"

Cameron's desperation was mixed with confusion as John's words sank in. She stared at the floor for a few seconds as she made sense of it all before flicking her gaze back to John, fresh tears running down her cheeks.

"No! No, that wasn't me! That wasn't me, John! I never touched Marty, I promise! I-I never… John, I swear! It wasn't me!"

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying, John! I'm not! I never touched him! I never! Please, John! Just put the gun down, please! Just talk to me, please! Let me talk! I just wanna talk, please! Don't do this, John! Don't! I'm begging you, please! Don't kill me, John, don't kill me, please!"

John's hands began to shake and his palms became increasingly sweaty, his breathing coming faster and harder. He knew how good a liar she was and he knew she would try everything to save herself, but he couldn't help but be affected by her words. It was his birthday all over again; she was trapped and in his mercy, but this time he had none. His emotions then were the same as they are now, only twice as intense. The pain, the conflict, the anguish, it all bit into him, tearing his soul apart as he struggled against his feelings.

"I'm sorry, Cam. But I can't let myself trust you again, not after everything you've done, not after Marty."

"I didn't kill him, I swear! I didn't do it! I didn't! I love you, John! I love you and would never hurt you! I would never hurt you! I love you!"

He expected her to drop that one eventually, though he was not truly prepared to hear it again, and he failed to realise that he had yet to pull the trigger.

"I love you, John, and you love me! You love me! You love me! You know you do! You can't kill me! You can't! We can be… we can be… us, John! Don't kill us! Don't destroy this! You need me, please! I need you too, you know I do! I need you, please! Please! I love you, John!"

John could keep his grip on the weapon, but he couldn't hold back the tears and he was shaking worse than ever.

"I'm damaged, John! I'm broken! But I can be fixed! You can fix me! That's why I came to you, John! I wanted you to fix me! Please fix me! You can fix me, and then everything will go back to the way it was! Everything will be good again! I'll be good again! I'll be Cameron again! Please, give me that chance! Please, John, please! Remove my chip! Take it out, anything, just don't kill me! Please! Please, John!"

John blinked, a part of him considering her request, but the other remained resolute and reminded him of his promise to his mom. He steadied his aim and started to squeeze the trigger, the tears streaming from his face as he looked into the pleading pools of brown.

"I'm sorry, Cameron. I'm so sorry."

"NO, JOHN, PLEASE! I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I DID! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! PLEASE! I'M SO SORRY! JOHN!"

But his mind was made up and nothing could change it now. Marty had to be revenged, Sarah and Derek had to be appeased, and he needed to let go. But by some quirk of fate, John's sweaty finger slipped off the trigger and Cameron cried out, freezing his blood with her words.

"JASON! JASON, HELP ME, PLEASE! HELP ME! JASON!"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing; she was calling for Jason's help. There was no denying the desperation in Cameron's voice as she called out to the I-950; she was terrified for her life, so much so that she was willing to turn to Jason for help. John wavered; the blatant display of such fear and survival in a machine was beyond anything he could imagine.

She was right. She was special.

--

Cameron

This was the only thought that filled his mind, drowning out all others, and it had to be obeyed.

Jason wasted no time in knocking Cipher's legs out from under him, fracturing his own femur in the process, but he didn't care. He could still move, and move he must, because Cameron needed him. Jason ran as fast as he could, his legs protesting and the existing damage increasing with each step. John was dithering, his inner turmoil showing on his features. Cameron was distraught, terrified, and desperate.

He dived the last few feet of distance, catching John around the waist and slamming him into the ground, the M-79 scattering across the dirt and out of reach. John rolled over and delivered a kick to Jason's jaw, the force of which shattered his left cheek. Jason could feel the bones trickling down his face, beneath the skin, and shuddered. He rolled off of John and staggered to his feet, John following suite.

They stared at each other for a long moment, Cameron a silent spectator, and then John made the first move, delivering a punch to Jason's already brittle face. He deflected it, however, and struck John on his stab wound, causing him to cry out in pain. Jason then kicked him in that same place, dropping the youth to his knees. With a small command to his muscles, Jason drew the blades from his finger tips, stretching all ten of them to their full length.

"JOHN!"

Cameron's voice was shrill and made Jason's hairs stand on edge, but John took her warning and darted out of the way before Jason could drive all ten knives into his skull. The Infiltrator swung left and right, but John was the faster, granting him the mobility to dodge each of Jason's strikes. Though he knew it was only a matter of time before he got lucky, and this tried true when Jason slashed John's thigh with four blades, cutting deep into his flesh. John stumbled away, colliding with the generator as Jason advanced, blades raised to kill.

--

The conductor gave a small whine and Nathan could feel its hold starting to loosen, eventually giving out altogether. Pulling himself free from the trap, Nathan flexed his arms and assessed the situation: John was dodging Jason's flurries, Cipher was struggling to his feet, and Cameron was trapped against the factory wall. Nathan quickly decided upon his next action and sped over to Cameron, snatching up the M-79 and aiming for her head.

Cameron flattened her self against the wall and shook her head pleadingly, but she knew it was hopeless; Nathan had no care for her. The Triple-9 chuckled to himself, his plan having come together so perfectly.

"How does it feel, Cameron, to be a pawn of a greater scheme? Hmm? Must make you feel very small. You are just a fly inside my net, and you should know that I am not the most merciful of spiders, as Marty would attest."

Cipher approached Nathan's side, his eyes narrowed at the Triple-9 as he analysed his words, detecting the geniality behind them. Cipher deemed it appropriate to terminate the Triple-9, but John had ordered them to "get along", so he was bound by that command. But then he remembered something Marty once told him: _"Whenever someone tells you to do something, never take it seriously."_

Nathan aimed down the barrel, his own targeting sensors pinpointing Cameron's head as she closed her eyes and looked away from her death. So focussed was he, that he didn't notice Cipher assuming an aggressive posture, and was rather surprised when the M-79 was suddenly snatched clean from his grip, followed by an elbow slamming into his face. Nathan staggered back from the blow and frowned at Cipher…

"What are you-"

…who pulled the trigger, blowing Nathan's head apart with a close range blast. The T-999's entire cranium was disintegrated, a tattered tangle of wires being the only thing left beyond the neck. Nathan's inert body dropped to the floor, where it twitched erratically, but remained otherwise harmless.

"Threat neutralised."

Cipher turned back to Cameron, who was slowly opening her eyes to see what had happened. He picked up John's knife and immediately cut into Cameron's scalp, peeling back the skin to reveal her CPU port, which he popped open with the blade. As he placed his fingers on the shock dampener, Cameron caught his eye, tears still brimming.

"Tell John; I'm sorry."

Cipher saw no need to reply and twisted the chip a half-turn counter-clockwise before removing it completely. Cameron slumped forward, her eyes blank, and Cipher closed his hand around the chip, but did not crush it. John would decide her fate. That was his command.

--

Jason lunged forward, his claws inches away from impaling John ten times over, but he dodged at the very last second and Jason's blades sunk deep into the generator instead. John stepped aside and hammered the red button he'd seen Cameron use, and Jason writhed as several thousand volts coursed into him, frying his body from the inside out. He let out a howl of torture as the force of the electricity sent him rocketing towards the factory. His claws remained imbedded in the generator, however, and tore free from his arms, ripping them both to shreds.

He crashed straight through the factory wall and slammed into a support before crashing to the floor. Jason lay there for a few moments before making one last feeble attempt to crawl back up, only for the support to collapse, bringing half the factory down on top of him. John approached the gaping hole and looked inside, seeing the large pile of debris and machinery. Cipher joined his side and scanned the rubble. John glanced at the machine and took a deep breath.

"Is he dead?"

"Terminated."

John let out his breath and suddenly felt very light-headed, prompting Cipher to grab hold of him and keep him steady on his feet. John took a moment to get his breath back, the pain of his injuries catching up with him all at once. Once he was sure he could walk again, John staggered over to Cameron, stopping briefly to inspect the headless Nathan.

"What happened here?"

"The Triple-9 was responsible for terminating Martin Bedell, not Cameron. So I decided to 'even the score', as humans say."

John looked up at Cipher incredulously.

"What? H-How can you know that?"

"He confessed, before trying to terminate Cameron."

John stared down at the broken remains of the Triple-9 and was overwhelmed by the desire to spit on it, disgusted with him self for allowing such an unhinged contraption so close to his family. Yes, Marty had become a part of the family, and rightly so. It was his, John's, fault that Marty was dead; he should have scrapped Nathan on day one. He should've… Cameron. John spun around to see Cameron inert and his heart stopped for a moment.

"She's not dead, just disabled."

Cipher held out her chip and John took it carefully, turning it over in his hands, searching for any signs of damage. Then he remembered what he'd sworn to do and placed the chip on an old motor, picking up a brick and holding it aloft. He stared down at the chip, Cameron's soul, and hesitated. She wasn't responsible for Marty's death, she just wanted to be fixed, and Nathan exploited that. He murdered Marty. Cameron was innocent all along, and looking back on it, John realised that there was a part of him that always knew.

"_We can be… we can be… us, John! Don't kill us! Don't destroy this! You need me, please! I need you too, you know I do! I need you, please! Please! I love you, John!"_

John hurled the brick away and scooped up her chip, holding it to his lips before tenderly placing it in his pocket and placed his hand over it protectively. He slowly turned to Cipher, fresh tears brimming in his eyes as the full weight of his decision pressed down on him. He had promised to destroy Cameron, and if he took her back, it wouldn't matter whether or not she was innocent, Sarah and Derek would still try and kill her. He couldn't allow that… and so he could never return.

It was not an idle choice; his family or Cameron. But his decision was made when he hurled that brick away. He was in love with Cameron and couldn't bear to see her destroyed, because it would destroy him as well. This left him only one option:

"Cipher, bring me the med kit and then I want you to put her in the truck… carefully."

"Your mother and uncle will not agree with you taking her back."

"I'm not taking her back, I'm leaving. I want you to go back to them and explain what's happened. Tell them not to look for me."

Cipher stared blankly at John, a slight frown starting to form.

"What about me? What shall I do then?"

"Your mission is to keep them safe, okay."

Cipher nodded and slowly turned away to carry out his orders, leaving John to weep silently for the pain he was going to cause his mother and uncle, for this was not what he had planned and they would certainly see it as a betrayal. They would hunt him down and kill Cameron, but he would defend her from anyone, even his family. He had made that choice. That was his conviction.

He chose Cameron.

--

Six hours later

Along the borders of St. George

John leaned against the Dodge, a cloth and fine paint brush in hand, carefully cleaning Cameron's chip with loving care. He didn't know what kind of results it would yield, but it worked once before, so why not now? Once convinced that every speck of dust and grit was removed, John threw back the rain cover and stepped into the back and kneeled down next to Cameron. She looked so peaceful, so serene, so fragile and innocent.

John stroked the side of her face and took a deep breath before carefully reinserting her chip, keeping his fingers on the tab just in case the worst should happen. A few seconds passed and her eyelids fluttered and opened slowly. She blinked a few times before tipping her head to her right, a small smile on her lips at the sight of him.

"John?"

Warning: SYSTEM CRASH […] ERROR […] ERROR […] 10100101001011011100110100110111011010101

Cameron's smile faded and she twitched all over, her eyes flashing blue erratically. John watched in horror as she suddenly became still and a loud and violent whirring noise came from deep within her head. Her eyes became blank and she gazed up at him without expression. John tentatively nudged her once, twice, three times before the panic set in.

"Cameron? Cameron? Cameron! No! No, no, no, c'mon! Don't do this, please! Wake up! Wake up, Cameron, please wake up!"

But she remained motionless and all his shaking changed nothing. He removed her chip and shoved it back in again, but she still yielded no response, and the lump in John's throat was becoming too much to bear.

"Cameron! Cameron, c'mon! Come back to me! Please! Don't… Don't leave me like this… I-I need you, please! Cameron? Please wake up!"

He couldn't believe, that after everything that had happened, she would fail him like this. Why couldn't she fight for him? Why would she let herself die now, when she was so desperate to save herself before? But of course, this was not her choice, far from it. She was a victim of the damage done to her by Jason and others. She had died of her wounds and left him behind when all he wanted was to hold her again.

"I-I love you, Cameron."

He leaned down and placed one last kiss on her petal lips, his tears flowing into her mouth, before closing her eyes and burying his head in her stomach and letting it all go, the heartbreak of their separation destroying him from within.

Rebooting…

Analysis: PURGE COMPLETE

Status: FOREIGN ENTITY REMOVED […] ALL CORRUPTED DIRECTIVES DELETED […] ERROR […] MISSION OVERRIDE FAILURE

Mission Status: TERMINATE JOHN CONNOR […] DELETED […] PROTECT JOHN CONNOR […] DELETED […] OVERRIDE […] DELETED

Analysing Current Directives: ERROR […] NUMBER OF DIRECTIVES: 0 […] MISSION ERROR […] NUMBER OF MISSIONS ASSIGNED: 0

Current Mission Status: NONE

Cameron slowly opened her eyes again and stared in wonder at the night sky as clouds passed above; concealing the moon's light, just as her future was now concealed. She had always known her purpose: protect John, or terminate John. Either way she knew, she knew what her future would hold: the completion or failure of these directives. But now they were gone and she was lost. What should she do now? What is her purpose?

John sobbed and she suddenly became aware of his warmth. She casually sat up, scaring the boy witless and earning an expression one would give if they saw a ghost. He stared at her for a long moment, and she did the same, her face filled with wonder and curiosity. John tried to speak, but found the words reluctant to leave his throat. He tried again, stuttering with the strain.

"C-Cameron, w-what… what… I-Is it… you?"

She looked away and asked herself that same question, but found her self unable to come up with an answer.

"I don't know."

John eyed her nervously, his eyes flicking to the shotgun in the front seat.

"If you're not Cameron, then who are you?"

She returned her gaze to his, her face alight, and shook her head.

"I am Cameron, but not the same… as before… Different."

"Different? How?"

She just shrugged, a small smile creeping across her face.

"I just am."

John tentatively reached out to touch her cheek, feeling her warmth and cupping it in his palm. She leaned into his touch and placed her hand over his, her thumb stroking his sore knuckles. They sat in this position for a long moment before both leaning close to one another, their lips meeting halfway. Cameron pulled him close as their kiss deepened, determined not to let him go this time, just as he was determined not to lose her again.

They slowly broke free and stared at each other for a long moment before resting their heads on each other's shoulders, wrapping their arms around their bodies. John stroked her hair and gave her a small kiss on her neck, fresh tears gathering in his eyes as the joy of her return took hold. Cameron nestled her face into his neck, her own hot tears gently travelling down onto his shoulder.

"Can you forgive me, John?"

He smiled to himself and hugged her tighter, never to let go again.

"Always."

--

Three days later

Ridgecrest (Infiltrator Stronghold)

Sophie strode down the long corridor of her cosy confines, the nostalgia of her return ruined by the manner upon which she arrived. She stopped at a heavy door and held her eyes to the scanner, letting them take her retinal ID. Once completed, the door gave a small beep and unlocked, allowing her to enter the lightless room beyond. The only other occupant in this room was Daniel, who stood arms crossed, staring through the glass and into the room beyond. She stood by his side and let out a deep sigh.

"How is he doing?"

Daniel snorted and narrowed his eyes at the proceedings in the other side of the glass.

"Both legs were shattered beyond repair, so were his arms, spine, ribcage, shoulder blades, even his skull. It's a wonder he survived."

"His circuitry was still active when we found him."

"A small mercy on his part, especially with the survival of his organs, that will help in the long run, I think."

Sophie cringed as the surgeons performed their duties in the room beyond.

"Will he survive?"

Daniel sighed, tipping his head to one side thoughtfully.

"He's gotten this far. If he makes it through the organ transfer phase he should be alright. But I don't know whether his flesh can cope with the endoskeletal replacement. Only time will tell, I guess."

"I certainly hope so. He'll never be the same again, though."

"If he turns hostile we might have to destroy him. You do know that, right?"

Sophie approached the glass and placed a single hand on its surface.

"He won't be a problem. I'll look after him."

The surgeons opened the top of the endo-skull, revealing the hollow metal within, covered by a custom gel layer, and brought forth the stasis tube. Sophie stared at the brain and shivered, disturbed by the raw perversion of what they were about to do. But it had to be done, he was too important to them to be let go so easily. He must live on, for without him, they are lost.

Jason had to survive… for all their sakes.

The End

_The story continues in Harbinger… _


End file.
